HOME  AS   FOUND.  ' 

tpd  to  "^nmntmrfc 


BY      J.      FENIMORE      COOPER. 


'Thou  art  perfect." 

Pr.  Hen. 


COMPLETE  IN   ONE    VOLUME. 


NEW    EDITION 


NEW    YORK: 
STRINGER      AND      TOWNSEND 

1856. 


c 

.;  /-I  j 

HOME  AS  FOUND. 


Entered  according  to  the  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1838,  by 

J.   FENNIMORE   COOPER, 

in  the  clerk's  office  of  the  district  court  of  the  United  States, 
in  and  for  the  eastern  district  of  Pennsylvania. 


i  3 


PREFACE. 


THOSE  who  have  done  us  the  favour  to  read  '  HOME 
WARD  BOUND'  will  at  once  perceive  that  the  incidents 
of  this  book  commence  at  the  point  where  those  of  the 
work  just  mentioned  ceased.  We  are  fully  aware 
of  the  disadvantage  of  dividing  the  interest  of  a  tale 
in  this  manner ;  hut  in  the  present  instance,  the  separa 
tion  has  been  produced  by  circumstances  over  which 
the  writer  had  very  little  control.  As  any  one  who  may 
happen  to  take  up  this  volume  will  very  soon  discovei 
that  there  is  other  matter  which  it  is  necessary  to  know, 
it  may  be  as  well  to  tell  all  such  persons,  in  the  com 
mencement,  therefore,  that  their  reading  will  be  boot 
less,  unless  they  have  leisure  to  turn  to  the  pages 
of  Homeward  Bound  for  their  cue. 

We  remember  the  despair  with  which  that  admira 
ble  observer  of  men,  Mr.  Mathews  the  comedian,  con 
fessed  the  hopelessness  of  success,  in  his  endeavours  to 
obtain  a  sufficiency  of  prominent  and  distinctive  fea 
tures  to  compose  an  entertainment  founded  on  Ameri 
can  character.  The  whole  nation  struck  him  as  being 
destitute  of  salient  points,  and  as  characterized  by  a 
respectable  mediocrity,  that,  however  useful  it  might  be 
in  its  way,  was  utterly  without  poetry,  humour,  or 
interest  to  the  observer.  For  one  who  dealt  principally 
with  the  more  conspicuous  absurdities  of  his  fellow- 
creatures,  Mr.  Mathews  was  certainly  right ;  we  also 

ill 


IV  PREFACE. 

believe  him  to  have  been  right  in  the  main,  in  the 
general  tenor  of  his  opinion ;  for  this  country,  in  its  ordi 
nary  aspects,  probably  presents  as  barren  a  field  to  the 
writer  of  fiction,  and  to  the  dramatist,  as  any  other  on 
earth ;  we  are  not  certain  that  we  might  not  say  the 
most  barren.  We  believe  that  no  attempt  to  delineate 
ordinary  American  life,  either  on  the  stage,  or  in  the 
pages  of  a  novel,  has  been  rewarded  with  success.  Even 
those  works  in  which  the  desire  to  illustrate  a  principle 
has  been  the  aim,  when  the  picture  has  been  brought 
within  this  homely  frame,  have  had  to  contend  with 
disadvantages  that  have  been  commonly  found  insur 
mountable.  The  latter  being  the  intention  of  this 
book,  the  task  has  been  undertaken  with  a  perfect 
consciousness  of  all  its  difficulties,  and  with  scarcely  a 
hope  of  success.  It  would  be  indeed  a  desperate  un 
dertaking,  to  think  of  making  anything  interesting 
in  the  way  of  a  Roman  de  Societv  in  this  country; 
still  useful  glances  may  possibly  be  made  even  in 
that  direction,  and  we  trust  that  the  fidelity  of  one 
or  two  of  our  portraits  will  be  recognized  by  the 
looker-on,  although  they  will  very  likely  be  denied  by 
the  sitters  themselves. 

There  seems  to  be  a  pervading  principle  in  things, 
which  gives  an  accumulating  energy  to  any  active  pro 
perty  that  may  happen  to  be  in  the  ascendant,  at  the 
time  being. — Money  produces  money ;  knowledge  is  the 
parent  of  knowledge ;  and  ignorance  fortifies  ignorance, 
— In  a  word,  like  begets  like.  The  governing  social 
evil  of  America  is  provincialism ;  a  misfortune  that  is 
perhaps  inseparable  from  "her  situation.  Without  a 
social  capital,  with  twenty  or  more  communities  divided 
by  distance  and  political  barriers,  her  people,  who  are 


PREFACE.  V 

really  more  homogenous  than  any  other  of  the  same 
numbers  in  the  world  perhaps,  possess  no  standard  for 
opinion,  manners,  social  maxims,  or  even  language. 
Every  man,  as  a  matter  of  course,  refers  to  his  own 
particular  experience,  and  praises  or  condemns  agree 
ably  to  notions  contracted  in  the  circle  of  his  own  ha 
bits,  however  narrow,  provincial,  or  erroneous  they  may 
happen  to  be.  As  a  consequence,  no  useful  stage  can 
exist ;  for  the  dramatist  who  should  endeavour  to  deli 
neate  the  faults  of  society,  would  find  a  formidable 
party  arrayed  against  him,  in  a  moment,  with  no  party 
to  defend.  As  another  consequence,  we  see  individuals 
constantly  assailed  with  a  wolf-like  ferocity,  while  so 
ciety  is  everywhere  permitted  to  pass  unscathed. 

That  the  American  nation  is  a  great  nation,  in  some 
particulars  the  greatest  the  world  ever  saw,  we  hold  to 
be  true,  and  are  as  ready  to  maintain  as  any  one  can 
be ;  but  we  are  also  equally  ready  to  concede,  that  it 
is  very  far  behind  most  polished  nations  in  various  essen 
tials,  and  chiefly,  that  it  is  lamentably  in  arrears  to  its 
own  avowed  principles.  Perhaps  this  truth  will  be 
found  to  be  the  predominant  thought,  throughout  the 
pages  of  "  Home  As  Found." 


HOME  AS  FOUND. 


CHAPTER  I. 


44  Good  morrow,  coz. 

"  Good  morrow,  sweet  Hero." 

SHAKSFKARB 


Mr.  Effingham  determined  to  return  home, 
he  sent  orders  to  his  agent  to  prepare  his  town-house 
in  New- York  for  his  reception,  intending  to  pass  a 
month  or  two  in  it,  then  to  repair  to  Washington  for  a 
few  weeks,  at  the  close  of  its  season,  and  to  visit  his 
country  residence  when  the  spring  should  fairly  open. 
Accordingly,  Eve  now  found  herself  at  the  head 
of  one  of  the  largest  establishments,  in  the  largest 
American  town,  within  an  hour  after  she  had  landed 
from  the  ship.  Fortunately  for  her,  however,  her  father 
was  too  just  to  consider  a  wife,  or  a  daughter,  a  mere 
upper  servant,  and  he  rightly  judged  that  a  liberal  por 
tion  of  his  income  should  be  assigned  to  the  procuring 
of  that  higher  quality  of  domestic  service,  which  can 
alone  relieve  the  mistress  of  a  household  from  a  burthen 
so  heavy  to  be  borne.  Unlike  so  many  of  those  around 
him,  who  would  spend  on  a  single  pretending  and  com 
fortless  entertainment,  in  which  the  ostentatious  folly 
Df  one  contended  with  the  ostentatious  folly  of  another 
a  sum  that,  properly  directed,  would  introduce  order 
and  system  into  a  family  for  a  twelvemonth,  by  com 
manding  the  time  and  knowledge  of  those  whose  study 
they  had  been,  and  who  would  be  willing  to  devote 
themselves  to  such  objects,  and  then  permit  their  wives 

(7) 


8  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

and  daughters  to  return  to  the  drudgery  to  which  the 
sex  seems  doomed  in  this  country,  he  first  bethought 
him  of  the  wants  of  social  life  before  he  aspired  to  its 
parade.  A  man  of  the  world,  Mr.  Effingham  pos 
sessed  the  requisite  knowledge,  and  a  man  of  justice, 
the  requisite  fairness,  to  permit  those  who  depended  on 
him  so  much  for  their  happiness,  to  share  equitably  in 
the  good  things  that  Providence  had  so  liberally  be 
stowed  on  himself.  In  other  words,  he  made  two  peo 
ple  comfortable,  by  paying  a  generous  price  for  a 
housekeeper;  his  daughter,  in  the  first  place,  by  re 
leasing  her  from  cares  that,  necessarily,  formed  no 
more  a  part  of  her  duties  than  it  would  be  a  part  of 
her  duty  to  sweep  the  pavement  before  the  door ;  and, 
in  the  next  place,  a  very  respectable  woman  who  was 
glad  to  obtain  so  good  a  home  on  so  easy  terms.  To 
this  simple  and  just  expedient,  Eve  was  indebted  for 
being  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  quietest,  most  truly 
elegant,  and  best  ordered  establishments  in  America, 
with  no  other  demands  on  her  time  than  that  which 
was  necessary  to  issue  a  few  orders  in  the  morning, 
and  to  examine  a  few  accounts  once  a  week. 

One  of  the  first  and  the  most  acceptable  of  the  visits 
that  Eve  received,  was  from  her  cousin,  Grace  Van 
Cortlandt,  who  was  in  the  country  at  the  moment  of 
her  arrival,  but  who  hurried  back  to  town  to  meet  her 
old  school-fellow  and  kinswoman,  the  instant  she  heard 
of  her  having  landed.  Eve  Effingham  and  Grace  Van 
Cortlandt  were  sisters'  children,  and  had  been  born 
within  a  month  of  each  other.  As  the  latter  was  with 
out  father  or  mother,  most  of  their  time  had  been  passed 
together,  until  the  former  was  taken  abroad,  when  a 
separation  unavoidably  ensued.  Mr.  Effingham  ar 
dently  desired,  and  had  actually  designed,  to  take  his 
niece  with  him  to  Europe,  but  her  paternal  grandfather, 
who  was  still  living,  objected  his  years  and  affection, 
and  the  scheme  was  reluctantly  abandoned.  This 
grandfather  was  now  dead,  and  Grace  had  been  left, 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 

with  a  very  ample  fortune,  almost  entirely  the  mistress 
of  her  own  movements. 

The  moment  of  the  meeting  between  these  t\vo 
warm-hearted  and  sincerely  attached  young  women, 
was  one  of  great  interest  and  anxiety  to  both.  They 
retained  for  each  other  the  tenderest  love,  though  the 
years  that  had  separated  them  had  given  rise  to  so 
many  new  impressions  and  habits  that  they  did  not  pre 
pare  themselves  for  the  interview  without  apprehension. 
This  interview  took  place  about  a  week  after  Eve  was 
established  in  Hudson  Square,  and  at  an  hour  earlier 
than  was  usual  for  the  reception  of  visits.  Hearing  a 
carriage  stop  before  the  door,  and  the  bell  ring,  our 
heroine  stole  a  glance  from  behind  a  curtain  and  re 
cognized  her  cousin  as  she  alighted. 

"Qu'avez-vous,  machere?"  demanded  Mademoiselle 
Viefville,  observing  that  her  eleve  trembled  and  grew 
pale. 

"  It  is  my  cousin,  Miss  Van  Cortlandt — she  whom 
I  loved  as  a  sister — we  now  meet  for  the  first  time  in 
so  many  years !" 

"  Bien — c'est  une  tr£s  jdie  jeune  personne  /"  returned 
the  governess,  taking  a  glance  from  the  spot  Eve  had 
just  quitted.  "  Sur  le  rapport  de  la  personne,  ma  chere, 
vous  devriez  etre  contente,  au  moms." 

"If  you  will  excuse  me,  Mademoiselle,  I  will  go  down 
alone — I  think  I  should  prefer  to  meet  Grace  without 
witnesses  in  the  first  interview." 

"  Tres  volontiers.  Elle  est  parente,  et  c'est  Men  wa- 
htreL" 

Eve,  on  this  expressed  approbation,  met  her  maid  at 
the  door,  as  she  came  to  announce  that  Mademoiselle 
de  Cortlandt  was  in  the  library,  and  descended  slowly 
to  meet  her.  The  library  was  lighted  from  above  by 
means  of  a  small  dome,  and  Grace  had  unconsciously 
placed  herself  in  the  very  position  that  a  painter  would 
have  chosen,  had  she  been  about  to  sit  for  her  por 
trait.  A  strong,  full,  rich  light  fell  obliquely  on  her 


10  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

as  Eve  entered,  displaying  her  fine  person  and  beau 
tiful  features  to  the  very  best  advantage,  and  they  were 
features  and  a  person  that  are  not  seen  every  day, 
even  in  a  country  where  female  beauty  is  so  common. 
She  was  in  a  carriage  dress,  and  her  toilette  was  rather 
more  elaborate  than  Eve  had  been  accustomed  to  see, 
at  that  hour,  but  still  Eve  thought  she  had  seldom  seen 
a  more  lovely  young  creature.  Some  such  thoughts, 
also,  passed  through  the  mind  of  Grace  herself,  who, 
though  struck,  with  a  woman's  readiness  in  such  mat 
ters,  with  the  severe  simplicity  of  Eve's  attire,  as  well 
as  with  its  entire  elegance,  was  more  struck  with  the 
charms  of  her  countenance  and  figure.  There  was, 
in  truth,  a  strong  resemblance  between  them,  though 
each  was  distinguished  by  an  expression  suited  to  her 
character,  and  to  the  habits  of  her  mind. 

"  Miss  Effingham  I"  said  Grace,  advancing  a  step  to 
meet  the  lady  who  entered,  while  her  voice  was  scarce 
ly  audible  and  her  limbs  trembled. 

"  Miss  Van  Cortlandt !"  said  Eve,  in  the  same  low, 
smothered  tone. 

This  formality  caused  a  chill  in  both,  and  each  un 
consciously  stopped  and  curtsied.  Eve  had  been  so 
much  struck  with  the  coldness  of  the  American  man 
ner,  during  the  week  she  had  been  at  home,  and  Grace 
was  so  sensitive  on  the  subject  of  the  opinion  of  one 
who  had  seen  so  much  of  Europe,  that  there  was  great 
danger,  at  that  critical  moment,  the  meeting  would  ter 
minate  unpropitiously. 

Thus  far,  however,  all  had  been  rigidly  decorous, 
though  the  strong  feelings  that  were  glowing  in  the 
bosoms  of  both,  had  been  so  completely  suppressed. 
But  the  smile,  cold  and  embarrassed  as  it  was,  that 
each  gave  as  she  curtsied,  had  the  sweet  character  of 
her  childhood  in  it,  and  recalled  to  both  the  girlish  and 
affectionate  intercourse  of  their  younger  days. 

"Grace!"  said  Eve,  eagerly,  advancing  a  step  or 
two  impetuously,  and  blushing  like  the  dawn. 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  11 

«  Eve !" 

Each  opened  her  arms,  and  in  a  moment  they  were 
locked  in  a  long  and  fervent  embrace.  This  was  the 
commencement  of  their  former  intimacy,  and  before 
night  Grace  was  domesticated  in  her  uncle's  house.  It 
is  true  that  Miss  Effingham  perceived  certain  peculiari 
ties  about  Miss  Van  Cortlandt,  that  she  had  rather 
were  absent ;  and  Miss  Van  Cortlandt  would  have  felt 
more  at  her  ease,  had  Miss  Effingham  a  little  less 
reserve  of  manner,  on  certain  subjects  that  the  latter 
had  been  taught  to  think  interdicted.  Notwithstanding 
these  slight  separating  shades  in  character,  however, 
the  natural  affection  was  warm  and  sincere ;  and  if  Eve, 
according  to  Grace's  notions,  was  a  little  stately  and 
formal,  she  was  polished  and  courteous,  and  if  Grace, 
according  to  Eve's  notions,  was  a  little  too  easy  and 
unreserved,  she  was  feminine  and  delicate. 

We  pass  over  the  three  or  four  days  that  succeeded, 
during  which  Eve  had  got  to  understand  something  of 
her  new  position,  and  we  will  come  at  once  to  a  con 
versation  between  the  cousins,  that  will  serve  to  let  the 
reader  more  intimately  into  the  opinions,  habits  and 
feelings  of  both,  as  well  as  to  open  the  real  subject  of 
our  narrative.  This  conversation  took  place  in  that 
very  library  which  had  witnessed  their  first  interview, 
soon  after  breakfast,  and  while  the  young  ladies  were 
still  alone. 

"  I  suppose,  Eve,  you  will  have  to  visit  the  Green's. 
— They  are  Hajjis,  and  were  much  in  society  last  win 
ter." 

"  Hajjis  !— You  surely  do  not  mean,  Grace,  that  they 
have  been  to  Mecca  ?" " 

"  Not  at  all :  only  to  Paris,  my  dear ;  that  makes 
a  Hajji  in  New-York." 

"  And  does  it  entitle  the  pilgrim  to  wear  the  green 
turban  ?"  asked  Eve,  laughing. 

"  To  wear  any  thing,  Miss  Effingham ;  green,  blue, 
or  yellow,  and  In  cause  it  to  pass  for  elegance." 


12  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  And  which  is  the  favourite  colour  with  the  family 
you  have  mentioned  ?" 

"  It  ought  to  be  the  first,  in  compliment  to  the  name, 
but,  if  truth  must  be  said,  I  think  they  betray  an  affec 
tion  for  all,  with  not  a  few  of  the  half-tints  in  addition." 

"  I  am  afraid  they  are  too  prononcces  for  us,  by  this 
description.  I  am  no  great  admirer,  Grace,  of  walk 
ing  rainbows." 

"  Too  Green,  you  would  have  said,  had  you  dared ; 
but  you  are  a  Hajji  too,  and  even  the  Greens  know 
that  a  Hajji  never  puns,  unless,  indeed,  it  might  be  one 
from  Philadelphia.  But  you  will  visit  these  people  ?" 

"  Certainly,  if  they  are  in  society  and  render  it  ne 
cessary  by  their  own  civilities." 

"  They  are  in  society,  in  virtue  of  their  rights  as 
Hajjis ;  but,  as  they  passed  three  months  at  Paris,  you 
probably  know  something  of  them." 

"  They  may  not  have  been  there  at  the  same  time 
with  ourselves,"  returned  Eve,  quietly,  "and  Paris  is  a 
very  large  town.  Hundreds  of  people  come  and  go, 
that  one  never  hears  of.  I  do  not  remember  those  you 
have  mentioned." 

"  I  wish  you  may  escape  them,  for,  in  my  untravel- 
led  judgment,  they  are  anything  but  agreeable,  not 
withstanding  all  they  have  seen,  or  pretend  to  have 
seen." 

"  It  is  very  possible  to  have  been  all  over  christen- 
dom,  and  to  remain  exceedingly  disagreeable ;  besides 
one  may  see  a  great  deal,  and  yet  see  very  little  of  a 
good  quality." 

A  pause  of  two  or  three  minutes  followed,  during 
which  Eve  read  a  note,  and  her  cousin  played  with  the 
leaves  of  a  book. 

"  I  wish  I  knew  your  real  opinion  of  us,  Eve,"  the 
last  suddenly  exclaimed.  "  Why  not  be  frank  with  so 
near  a  relative ;  tell  me  honestly,  now — are  you  recon 
ciled  to  your  country  ?" 

"  You  are  the  eleventh  person  who  has  asked  me 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


13 


this  question,  which  I  find  very  extraordinary,  as  1 
have  never  quarrelled  with  my  country." 

"  Nay,  I  do  not  mean  exactly  that.  I  wish  to  hear 
how  our  society  has  struck  one  who  has  been  educated 
abroad." 

"  You  wish,  then,  for  opinions  that  can  have  no  great 
value,  since  my  experience  at  home,  extends  only  to  a 
fortnight.  But  you  have  many  books  on  the  country, 
and  some  written  by  very  clever  persons ;  why  not 
consult  them  1" 

"  Oh  !  you  mean  the  travellers.  None  ot  them  are 
worth  a  second  thought,  and  we  hold  them,  one  and 
all,  in  great  contempt." 

"  Of  that  I  can  have  no  manner  of  doubt,  as  one 
and  all,  you  are  constantly  protesting  it,  in  the  high 
ways  and  bye-ways.  There  is  no  more  certain  sign 
of  contempt,  than  to  be  incessantly  dwelling  on  its 
intensity  !" 

Grace  had  great  quickness,  as  well  as  her  cousin, 
and  though  provoked  at  Eve's  quiet  hit,  she  had  the 
good  sense  and  the  good  nature  to  laugh. 

"  Perhaps  we  do  protest  and  disdain  a  little  too  stre 
nuously  for  good  taste,  if  not  to  gain  believers ;  but 
surely,  Eve,  you  do  not  support  these  travellers  in  all 
that  they  have  written  of  us  ?' 

"  Not  in  half,  I  can  assure  you.  My  father  and  cou 
sin  Jack  have  discussed  them  too  often  in  my  presence 
to  leave  me  in  ignorance  of  the  very  many  political 
blunders  they  have  made  in  particular." 

"  Political  blunders ! — I  know  nothing  of  them,  and 
had  rather  thought  them  right,  in  most  of  what  they 
said  about  our  politics.  But,  surely,  neither  your  father 
nor  Mr.  John  Effingham  corroborates  what  they  say 
of  our  society !" 

"  I  cannot  answer  for  either,  on  that  point." 
«  Speak  then  for  yourself.  Do  you  think  them  right  1" 
11  You  should  remember,  Grace,  that  I  have  not  yet 
seen  any  society  in  New-York." 
2 


14  HOME    AS   FOUND 

"  No  society,  dear ! — Why  you  were  at  the  Hender 
son's,  and  the  Morgan's,  and  the  Drewett's ;  three  of 
the  greatest  reunions  that  we  have  had  in  two  win 
ters  !" 

"  I  did  not  know  that  you  meant  those  unpleasant 
crowds,  by  society." 

"  Unpleasant  crowds !  Why,  child,  that  is  society, 
is  it  not  ?' ' 

"  Not  what  I  have  been  taught  to  consider  such ;  I 
rather  think  it  would  be  better  to  call  it  company." 

"  And  is  not  this  what  is  called  society  in  Paris  ?" 

"  As  far  from  it  as  possible ;  it  may  be  an  excres 
cence  of  society ;  one  of  its  forms ;  but,  by  no  means, 
society  itself.  It  would  be  as  true  to  call  cards,  which 
are  sometimes  introduced  in  the  world,  society,  as  to 
call  a  ball  given  in  two  small  and  crowded  rooms, 
society.  They  are  merely  two  of  the  modes  in  which 
idlers  endeavour  to  vary  their  amusements." 

"  But  we  have  little  else  than  these  balls,  the  morn 
ing  visits,  and  an  occasional  evening,  in  which  there  is 
no  dancing." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it ;  for,  in  that  case,  you  can 
have  no  society." 

"And  is  it  different  at  Paris — or  Florence,  or 
Rome?" 

"  Very.  In  Paris  there  are  many  houses  open  every 
evening  to  which  one  can  go,  with  little  ceremony. 
Our  sex  appears  in  them,  dressed  according  to  what  a 
gentleman  I  overheard  conversing  at  Mrs.  Henderson's 
would  call  their  "ulterior  intentions,"  for  the  night; 
some  attired  in  the  simplest  manner,  others  dressed  for 
concerts,  for  the  opera,  for  court  even ;  some  on  the 
way  from  a  dinner,  and  others  going  to  a  late  ball. 
All  this  matter  of  course  variety,  adds  to  the  ease  and 
grace  of  the  company,  and  coupled  with  perfect  good 
manners,  a  certain  knowledge  of  passing  events,  pretty 
modes  of  expression,  an  accurate  and  even  utterance, 
the  women  usually  find  the  means  of  making  them- 


HOME   AS   FOUND.  15 

selves  agreeable.  Their  sentiment  is  sometimes  a  little 
heroic,  but  this  one  must  overlook,  and  it  is  a  taste, 
moreover,  that  is  falling  into  disuse,  as  people  read  bet 
ter  books." 

"And  you  prefer  this  heartlessness,  Eve,  to  the 
nature  of  your  own  country !" 

"  I  do  not  know  that  quiet,  retenue  and  a  good  tone, 
are  a  whit  more  heartless  than  flirting,  giggling  and 
childishness.  There  may  be  more  nature  in  the  latter, 
certainly,  but  it  is  scarcely  as  agreeable,  after  one  has 
fairly  got  rid  of  the  nursery." 

Grace  looked  vexed,  but  she  loved  her  cousin  too 
sincerely  to  be  angry.  A  secret  suspicion  that  Eye 
was  right,  too,  came  in  aid  of  her  affection,  and  while 
her  little  foot  moved,  she  maintained  her  good-nature, 
a  task  not  always  attainable  for  those  who  believe  that 
their  own  "  superlatives"  scarcely  reach  to  other  peo 
ple's  "  positives."  At  this  critical  moment,  when  there 
was  so  much  danger  of  a  jar  in  the  feelings  of  these 
two  young  females,  the  library  door  opened  and  Pierre, 
Mr.  Effingham's  own  man,  announced 

"  Monsieur  Bragg." 

"  Monsieur  who  t"  asked  Eve,  in  surprise. 

"  Monsieur  Bragg,"  returned  Pierre,  in  French, 
"  desires  to  see  Mademoiselle." 

"  You  mean  my  father,— I  know  no  such  person." 

"  He  inquired  first  for  Monsieur,  but  understanding 
Monsieur  was  out,  he  next  asked  to  have  the  honour 
of  seeing  Mademoiselle." 

"  Is  it  what  they  call  a  person  in  England,  Pierre  r1 

Old  Pierre  smiled,  as  he  answered 

. "  He  has  the  air,  Mademoiselle,  though  he  esteems 
himself  a  personnage,  if  I  might  take  the  liberty  of 
judging." 

"  Ask  him  for  his  card, — there  musi  oe  a  mistake,  I 
.Link." 

While  this  short  conversation  took  place,  Grace  Van 
Cortlandt  was  sketching  a  cottage  with  a  pen,  without 


16  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

attending  to  a  word  that  was  said.  But,  when  Eve 
received  the  card  from  Pierre  and  read  aloud,  with  the 
tone  of  surprise  that  the  name  would  be  apt  to  excite 
in  a  novice  in  the  art  of  American  nomenclature,  the 
words  "  Aristabulus  Bragg,"  her  cousin  began  to  laugh. 

"  Who  can  this  possibly  be,  Grace  ? — Did  you  ever 
hear  of  such  a  person,  and  what  right  can  he  have  to 
wish  to  see  me  ?" 

"  Admit  him,  by  all  means ;  it  is  your  father's  land 
agent,  and  he  may  wish  to  leave  some  message  for  my 
uncle.  You  will  be  obliged  to  make  his  acquaintance, 
sooner  or  later,  and  it  may  as  well  be  done  now  as  at 
another  time." 

"  You  have  shown  this  gentleman  into  the  front  draw 
ing-room,  Pierre  ?" 

"  Oui,  Mademoiselle." 

"  I  will  ring  when  you  are  wanted." 

Pierre  withdrew,  and  Eve  opened  her  secretary,  out 
of  which  she  took  a  small  manuscript  book,  over  the 
leaves  of  which  she  passed  her  fingers  rapidly. 

"  Here  it  is,"  she  said,  smiling,  "  Mr.  Aristabulus 
Bragg,  Attorney  and  Counsellor  at  Law,  and  the  agent 
of  the  Templeton  estate."  This  precious  little  work, 
you  must  understand,  Grace,  contains  sketches  of  the 
characters  of  such  persons  as  I  shall  be  the  most  likely 
to  see,  by  John  Effingham,  A.  M.  It  is  a  sealed  volume, 
of  course,  but  there  can  be  no  harm  in  reading  the  part 
that  treats  of  our  present  visiter,  and,  with  your  per 
mission,  we  will  have  it  in  common. — '  Mr.  Aristabulus 
Bragg  was  born  in  one  of  the  western  counties  of  Mas 
sachusetts,  and  emigrated  to  New- York,  after  receiv 
ing  his  education,  at  the  mature  age  of  nineteen  ;•  at 
twenty-one  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  for  the  last 
seven  years  he  has  been  a  successful  practitioner  in  all 
the  courts  of  Otsego,  from  the  justice's  to  the  circuit. 
His  talents  are  undeniable,  as  he  commenced  his  edu 
cation  at  fourteen  and  terminated  it  at  twenty-one,  the 
law-course  included.  This  man  is  an  epitome  of  all 


HOME   AS   FOUND.  17 

that  is  good  and  all  that  is  bad,  in  a  very  large  class 
of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  is  quick-witted,  prompt  in 
action,  enterprising  in  all  things  in  which  he  has  no 
thing  to  lose,  but  wary  and  cautious  in  all  things  in 
which  he  has  a  real  stake,  and  ready  to  turn  not  only 
his  hand,  but  his  heart  and  his  principles  to  any  thing 
that  offers  an  advantage.  With  him,  literally,  "no 
thing  is  too  high  to  be  aspired  to,  nothing  too  low  to 
be  done."  He  will  run  for  Governor,  or  for  town- 
clerk,  just  as  opportunities  occur,  is  expert  in  all  the 
practices  of  his  profession,  has  had  a  quarter's  danc 
ing,  with  three  years  in  the  classics,  and  turned  his 
attention  towards  medicine  and  divinity,  before  he 
finally  settled  down  into  the  law.  Such  a  compound 
of  shrewdness,  impudence,  common-sense,  pretension, 
humility,  cleverness,  vulgarity,  kind-heartedness,  dupli 
city,  selfishness,  law-honesty,  moral  fraud  and  mother 
wit,  mixed  up  with  a  smattering  of  learning  and  much 
penetration  in  practical  things,  can  hardly  be  described, 
as  any  one  of  his  prominent  qualities  is  certain  to  be 
met  by  another  quite  as  obvious  that  is  almost  its  con 
verse.  Mr.  Bragg,  in  short,  is  purely  a  creature  of 
circumstances,  his  qualities  pointing  him  out  for  either 
a  member  of  congress  or  a  deputy  sheriff,  offices  that 
he  is  equally  ready  to  fill.  I  have  employed  him  to 
watch  over  the  estate  of  your  father,  in  the  absence 
of  the  latter,  on  the  principle  that  one  practised  in 
tricks  is  the  best  qualified  to  detect  and  expose  them, 
and  with  the  certainty  that  no  man  will  trespass  with 
impunity,  so  long  as  the  courts  continue  to  tax  bills  of 
costs  with  their  present  liberality/  You  appear  ^to 
know  the  gentleman,  Grace ;  is  this  character  of  him 
faithful?" 

"  I  know  nothing  of  bills  of  costs  and  deputy  she 
riffs,  but  I  do  know  that  Mr.  Aristabulus  Bragg  is  an 
amusing  mixture  of  strut,  humility,  roguery  and  clev 
erness.  He  is  waiting  all  this  time  in  the  drawing- 
room,  and  you  had  better  see  him,  as  he  may,  now,  be 
2* 


18  HOME  AS   FOUND. 

almost  considered  part  of  the  family.  You  know  he 
has  been  living  in  the  house  at  Templeton,  ever  since 
he  was  installed  by  Mr.  John  Effingham.  It  was  there 
I  had  the  honour  first  to  meet  him." 

"First!  —  Surely  you  have  never  seen  him  any 
where  else !" 

*'  Your  pardon,  my  dear.  He  never  comes  to  town 
without  honouring  me  with  a  call.  This  is  the  price  I 
pay  for  having  had  the  honour  of  being  an  inmate  of 
the  same  house  with  him  for  a  week." 

Eve  rang  the  bell,  and  Pierre  made  his  appear 
ance. 

"  Desire  Mr.  Bragg  to  walk  into  the  library." 

Grace  looked  demure  while  Pierre  was  gone  to  ushei 
in  their  visiter,  and  Eve  was  thinking  of  the  medley 
of  qualities  John  Effingham  had  assembled  in  his  de 
scription,  as  the  door  opened,  and  the  subject  of  her 
contemplation  entered. 

"  Monsieur  Jlristabule"  said  Pierre,  eyeing  the  card, 
but  sticking  at  the  first  name. 

Mr.  Aristabulus  Bragg  was  advancing  with  an  easy 
assurance  to  make  his  bow  to  the  ladies,  when  the 
more  finished  air  and  quiet  dignity  of  Miss  Effingham, 
who  was  standing,  so  far  disconcerted  him,  as  com 
pletely  to  upset  his  self-possession.  As  Grace  had 
expressed  it,  in  consequence  of  having  lived  three 
years  in  the  old  residence  at  Templeton,  he  had  begun 
to  consider  himself  a  part  of  the  family,  and  at  home 
he  never  spoke  of  the  young  lady  without  calling  her 
"  Eve,"  or  "  Eve  Effingham."  But  he  found  it  a  very 
different  thing  to  affect  familiarity  among  his  associates, 
and  to  practise  it  in  the  very  face  of  its  subject ;  and, 
although  seldom  at  a  loss  for  words  of  some  sort  or 
another,  he  was  now  actually  dumb-founded.  Eve 
relieved  his  awkwardness  by  directing  Pierre,  with  her 
eye,  to  hand  a  chair,  and  first  speaking. 

"  I  regret  that  my  father  is  not  in,"  she  said,  by  way 
of  turning  the  visit  from  herself;  "  but  he  is  to  be  ex- 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  W 

pccted  every  moment.    Are  you  lately  from  Temple- 
ton?" 

Aristabulus  drew  his  breath,  and  recovered  enough 
of  his  ordinary  tone  of  manner  to  reply  with  a  decent 
regard  to  his  character  for  self-command.  The  inti 
macy  that  he  had  intended  to  establish  on  the  spot,  was 
temporarily  defeated,  it  is  true,  and  without  his  exactly 
knowing  how  it  had  been  effected ;  for  it  was  merely 
the  steadiness  of  the  young  lady,  blended  as  it  was  with 
a  polished  reserve,  that  had  thrown  him  to  a  distance 
he  could  not  explain.  He  felt  immediately,  and  with 
taste  that  did  his  sagacity  credit,  that  his  footing  in 
this  quarter  was  only  to  be  obtained  by  unusually  slow 
and  cautious  means.  Still,  Mr.  Bragg  was  a  man  of 
great  decision,  and,  in  his  way,  of  very  far-sighted 
views ;  and,  singular  as  it  may  seem,  at  that  unpropi- 
tious  moment,  he  mentally  determined  that,  at  no  very 
distant  day,  he  would  make  Miss  Eve  Effingham  his 
wife. 

"  I  hope  Mr.  Effingham  enjoys  good  health,"  he  said, 
with  some  such  caution  as  a  rebuked  school-girl  enters 
on  the  recitation  of  her  task — "  he  enjoyed  bad  health 
I  hear,  (Mr.  Aristabulus  Bragg,  though  so  shrewd,  was 
far  from  critical  in  his  modes  of  speech)  when  he  went 
to  Europe,  and  after  travelling  so  far  in  such  bad  com 
pany,  it  would  be  no  more  than  fair  that  he  should 
have  a  little  respite  as  he  approaches  home  and  old 
age." 

Had  Eve  been  told  that  the  man  who  uttered  this 
nice  sentiment,  and  that  too  in  accents  as  uncouth  and 
provincial  as  the  thought  was  finished  and  lucid,  actu 
ally  presumed  to  think  of  her  as  his  bosom  companion, 
it  is  not  easy  to  say  which  would  have  predominated 
in  her  mind,  mirth  or  resentment.  But  Mr.  Bragg  was 
not  in  the  habit  of  letting  his  secrets  escape  him  pre 
maturely,  and  Certainly  this  was  one  that  none  but  a 
wizard  could  have  discovered  without  the  aid  of  a  di 
rect  oral  or  written  communication. 


20  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

"  Are  you  lately  from  Templeton  ?"  repeated  Eve, 
a  little  surprised  that  the  gentleman  did  not  see  fit  to 
answer  the  question,  which  was  the  only  one  that,  as 
it  seemed  to  her,  could  have  a  common  interest  with 
them  both. 

"  I  left  home  the  day  before  yesterday,"  Aristabulus 
now  deigned  to  reply. 

"  It  is  so  long  since  I  saw  our  beautiful  mountains, 
and  I  was  then  so  young,  that  I  feel  a  great  impatience 
to  revisit  them,  though  the  pleasure  must  be  deferred 
until  spring/' 

"  I  conclude  they  are  the  handsomest  mountains  in 
the  known  world,  Miss  Effingham !" 

"  That  is  much  more  than  I  shall  venture  to  claim 
for  them ;  but,  according  to  my  imperfect  recollection, 
and,  what  I  esteem  of  far  more  importance,  according 
to  the  united  testimony  of  Mr.  John  Effingham  and  my 
father,  I  think  they  must  be  very  beautiful." 

Aristabulus  looked  up,  as  if  he  had  a  facetious  thing 
to  say,  and  he  even  ventured  on  a  smile,  while  he  made 
his  answer. 

"  I  hope  Mr.  John  Effingham  has  prepared  you  for 
a  great  change  in  the  house  ?" 

"We  know  that  it  has  been  repaired  and  altered 
under  his  directions.  That  was  done  at  my  father's 
request." 

"We  consider  it  denationalized,  Miss  Effingham, 
there  being  nothing  like  it,  west  of  Albany  at  least." 

"  I  should  be  sorry  to  find  that  my  cousin  has  sub 
jected  us  to  this  imputation,"  said  Eve  smiling — per 
haps  a  little  equivocally ;  "  the  architecture  of  America 
being  generally  so  simple  and  pure.  Mr.  Effingham 
laughs  at  his  own  improvements,  however,  in  which, 
he  says,  he  has  only  carried  out  the  plans  of  the  ori 
ginal  artiste,  who  worked  very  much  in  what  was 
called  the  composite  order." 

"  You  allude  to  Mr.  Hiram  Doolittl<f,  a  gentleman  1 
never  saw ;  though  I  hear  he  has  left  behind  him  many 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  21 

traces  of  his  progress  in  the  newer  states.  Ex  pede, 
Herculem,  as  we  say,  in  the  classics,  Miss  Effingham. 
I  believe  it  is  the  general  sentiment  that  Mr.  Doolittle's 
designs  have  been  improved  on,  though  most  people 
think  that  the  Grecian  or  Roman  architecture,  which 
is  so  much  in  use  in  America,  would  be  more  repub 
lican.  But  every  body  knows  that  Mr.  John  Effing- 
ham  is  not  much  of  a  republican." 

Eve  did  not  choose  to  discuss  her  kinsman's  opinions 
with  Mr.  Aristabulus  Bragg,  and  she  quietly  remarked 
that  she  "  did  not  know  that  the  imitations  of  the  an 
cient  architecture,  of  which  there  are  so  many  in  the 
country,  were  owing  to  attachment  to  republicanism." 

"  To  what  else  can  it  be  owing,  Miss  Eve  1" 

"  Sure  enough,"  said  Grace  Van  Cortlandt ;  "  it  is 
unsuited  to  the  materials,  the  climate,  and  the  uses ; 
and  some  very  powerful  motive,  like  that  mentioned 
by  Mr.  Bragg,  could  alone  overcome  these  obstacles." 

Aristabulus  started  from  his  seat,  and  making  sun 
dry  apologies,  declared  his  previous  unconsciousness 
that  Miss  Van  Cortlandt  was  present ;  all  of  which 
was  true  enough,  as  he  had  been  so  much  occupied 
mentally,  with  her  cousin,  as  not  to  have  observed  her, 
seated  as  she  was  partly  behind  a  screen.  Grace  re 
ceived  the  excuses  favourably,  and  the  conversation 
was  resumed. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  my  cousin  should  offend  the  taste 
of  the  country,"  said  Eve,  "  but  as  we  are  to  live  in 
the  house,  the  punishment  will  fall  heaviest  on  the 
offenders." 

"  Do  not  mistake  me,  Miss  Eve,"  returned  Aristabu- 
ms,  in  a  little  alarm,  for  he  too  well  understood  the 
influence  and  wealth  of  John  Effingham,  not  to  wish 
to  be  on  good  terms  with  him ;  "  do  not  mistake  me. 
/  admire  the  house,  and  know  it  to  be  a  perfect  speci 
men  of  a  pure  architecture  in  its  way,  but  then  public 
opinion  is  not  yet  quite  up  to  it.  /  see  all  its  beauties, 
J  would  wish  you  to  know,  but  then  there  are  many, 


22  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

a  majority  perhaps,  who  do  not,  and  these  persons 
think  they  ought  to  be  consulted  about  such  matters." 

"  I  believe  Mr.  John  Effingham  thinks  less  of  his 
own  work  than  you  seem  to  think  of  it  yourself,  sir, 
for  I  have  frequently  heard  him  laugh  at  it,  as  a  mere 
enlargement  of  the  merits  of  the  composite  order.  He 
calls  it  a  caprice,  rather  than  a  taste :  nor  do  I  see 
what  concern  a  majority,  as  you  term  them,  can  have 
with  a  house  that  does  not  belong  to  them." 

Aristabulus  was  surprised  that  any  one  could  disre 
gard  a  majority ;  for,  in  this  respect,  he  a  good  deal  re 
sembled  Mr.  Dodge,  though  running  a  different  career ; 
and  the  look  of  surprise  he  gave  was  natural  and  open. 

"  I  do  not  mean  that  the  public  has  a  legal  right  to 
control  the  tastes  of  the  citizen,"  he  said,  "  but  in  a 
republican  government,  you  undoubtedly  understand, 
Miss  Eve,  it  will  rule  in  all  things." 

"  I  can  understand  that  one  would  wish  to  see  his 
neighbour  use  good  taste,  as  it  helps  to  embellish  a 
country ;  but  the  man  who  should  consult  the  whole 
neighbourhood  before  he  built,  would  be  very  apt  to 
cause  a  complicated  house  to  be  erected,  if  he  paid 
much  respect  to  the  different  opinions  he  received ; 
or,  what  is  quite  as  likely,  apt  to  have  no  house  at 
all." 

"  I  think  you  are  mistaken,  Miss  Effingham,  for  the 
public  sentiment,  just  now,  runs  almost  exclusively 
and  popularly  into  the  Grecian  school.  We  buifd 
little  besides  temples  for  our  churches,  our  banks,  our 
taverns,  our  court-houses,  and  our  dwellings.  A  friend 
of  mine  has  just  built  a  brewery  on  the  model  of  the 
Temple  of  the  Winds." 

"  Had  it  been  a  mill,  one  might  understand  the  con 
ceit,"  said  Eve,  who  now  began  to  perceive  that  her 
visiter  had  some  latent  humour,  though  he  produced  it 
in  a  manner  to  induce  one  to  think  him  any  thing  but 
a  droll.  "  The  mountains  must  be  doubly  beautiful,  if 
they  are  decorated  in  the  way  you  mention.  I  sin- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  23 

cerely  hope,  Grace,  that  I  shall  find  the  hills  as  plea 
sant  as  they  now  exist  in  my  recollection !" 

"  Should  they  not  prove  to  be  quite  as  lovely  as  you 
imagine,  Miss  Effingham,"  returned  Aristabulus,  who 
saw  no  impropriety  in  answering  a  remark  made  to 
Miss  Van  Cortlandt,  or  any  one  else,  "I  hope  you 
will  have  the  kindness  to  conceal  the  fact  from  the 
world." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  would  exceed  my  power,  the  dis 
appointment  would  be  so  strong.  May  I  ask  why  you 
show  so  much  interest  in  my  keeping  so  cruel  a  mor 
tification  to  myself?" 

"  Why,  Miss  Eve,"  said  Aristabulus,  looking  grave, 
"  I  am  afraid  that  our  people  would  hardly  bear  the 
expression  of  such  an  opinion  from  you." 

"  From  me ! — and  why  not  from  me,  in  particular  ?" 

"  Perhaps  it  is  because  they  think  you  have  travel 
led,  and  have  seen  other  countries." 

"  And  is  it  only  those  who  have  not  travelled,  and 
who  have  no  means  of  knowing  the  value  of  what 
they  say,  that  are  privileged  to  criticise  ?" 

"  I  cannot  exactly  explain  my  own  meaning,  per 
haps,  but  I  think  Miss  Grace  will  understand  me.  Do 
you  not  agree  with  me,  Miss  Van  Cortlandt,  in  think 
ing  it  would  be  safer  for  one  who  never  saw  any 
other  mountains  to  complain  of  the  tameness  and 
monotony  of  our  own,  than  for  one  who  had  passed  a 
whole  life  among  the  Andes  and  the  Alps?" 

Eve  smiled,  for  she  saw  that  Mr.  Bragg  was  capa 
ble  of  detecting  and  laughing  at  provincial  pride,  even 
while  he  was  so  much  under  its  influence ;  and  Grace 
coloured,  for  she  had  the  consciousness  of  having 
already  betrayed  some  of  this  very  silly  sensitiveness, 
in  her  intercourse  with  her  cousin,  in  connexion  with 
other  subjects.  A  reply  was  unnecessary,  however, 
as  the  door  just  then  opened,  and  John  Effingham 
made  his  appearance.  The  meeting  between  the  two 
gentlemen,  for  we  suppose  Aristabulus  must  be  in- 


24  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

eluded  in  the  category  by  courtesy,  if  not  of  right, 
was  more  cordial  than  Eve  had  expected  to  witness, 
for  each  really  entertained  a  respect  for  the  other,  in 
reference  to  a  merit  of  a  particular  sort ;  Mr.  Bragg 
esteeming  Mr.  John  Effingham  as  a  wealthy  and 
caustic  cynic,  and  Mr.  John  Effingham  regarding  Mr. 
Bragg  much  as  the  owner  of  a  dwelling  regards  a 
valuable  house-dog.  After  a  few  moments  of  conver 
sation,  the  two  withdrew  together,  and  just  as  the 
ladies  were  about  to  descend  to  the  drawing-room, 
previously  to  dinner,  Pierre  announced  that  a  plate 
had  been  ordered  for  the  land  agent. 


CHAPTER  II. 


"I  know  that  Deformed;  he  has  been  a  vile  thief  this  seven  year 
he  goes  up  and  down  like  a  gentleman." 

MUCH  ADO  ABOUT  NOTHING. 


EVE,  and  her  cousin,  found  Sir  George  Templemore 
and  Captain  Truck  in  the  drawing-room,  the  former 
having  lingered  in  New- York,  with  a  desire  to  be  near 
his  friends,  and  the  latter  being  on  the  point  of  sailing 
for  Europe,  in  his  regular  turn.  To  these  must  be 
added  Mr.  Bragg  and  the  ordinary  inmates  of  the 
house,  when  the  reader  will  get  a  view  of  the  whole 
party. 

Aristabulus  had  never  before  sat  down  to  as  brilliant 
a  table,  and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  he  saw  candles 
lighted  at  a  dinner ;  but  he  was  not  a  man  to  be  dis 
concerted  at  a  novelty.  Had  he  been  a  European  of 
the  same  origin  and  habits,  awkwardness  would  have 
betrayed  him  fifty  times,  before  the  dessert  made  its 
appearance ;  but,  being  the  man  he  was,  one  who  over 
looked  a  certain  prurient  politeness  that  rather  illus- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  25 

trated  his  deportment,  might  very  well  have  permitted 
him  to  pass  among  the  oi  polloi  of  the  world,  were  it 
not  for  a  peculiar  management  in  the  \vay  of  providing 
for  himself.  It  is  true,  he  asked  every  one  near  him 
to  eat  of  every  thing  he  could  himself  reach,  and  that 
he  used  his  knife  as  a  coal-heaver  uses  a  shovel ;  but 
the  company  he  was  in,  though  fastidious  in  its  own 
deportment,  was  altogether  above  the  silver-forkisms, 
and  this  portion  of  his  demeanour,  if  it  did  not  escape 
undetected,  passed  away  unnoticed.  Not  so,  however, 
with  the  peculiarity  already  mentioned  as  an  excep 
tion.  This  touch  of  deportment,  (or  management,  per 
haps,  is  the  better  word,)  being  characteristic  of  the 
man,  it  deserves  to  be  mentioned  a  little  in  detail. 

The  service  at  Mr.  Eifingham's  table  was  made  in 
the  quiet,  but  thorough  manner  that  distinguishes  a 
French  dinner.  Every  dish  was  removed,  carved  by 
the  domestics,  and  handed  in  turn  to  each  guest.  But 
there  were  a  delay  and  a  finish  in  this  arrangement 
that  suited  neither  Aristabulus's  go-a-head-ism,  nor  his 
organ  of  acquisitiveness.  Instead  of  waiting,  there 
fore,  for  the  more  graduated  movements  of  the  domes 
tics,  he  began  to  take  care  of  himself,  an  office  that 
he  performed  with  a  certain  dexterity  that  he  had 
acquired  by  frequenting  ordinaries — a  school,  by  the 
way,  in  which  he  had  obtained  most  of  his  notions  of 
the* proprieties  of  the  table.  One  or  two  slices  were 
obtained  in  the  usual  manner,  or  by  means  of  the 
regular  service  ;  and,  then,  like  one  who  had  laid  the 
foundation  of  a  fortune,  by  some  lucky  windfall  in  the 
commencement  of  his  career,  he  began  to  make 
accessions,  right  and  left,  as  opportunity  offered. 
Sundry  entremets,  or  light  dishes  that  had  a  peculiarly 
tempting  appearance,  came  first  under  his  grasp.  Of 
these  he  soon  accumulated  all  within  his  reach,  by 
taxing  his  neighbours,  when  he  ventured  to  send  his 
plate,  here  and  there,  or  wherever  he  saw  a  dish  that 
promised  to  reward  his  trouble.  By  such  means, 


26  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

which  were  resorted  to,  however,   with  a  quiet  and 
unobtrusive  assiduity  that  escaped  much  observation, 
Mr.  Bragg  contrived  to  make  his  own  plate  a  sample 
epitome  of  the  first  course.    It  contained  in  the  centre, 
fish,  beef,  and  ham  ;  and  around  these  staple  articles, 
he  had   arranged  croquettes,  rognons,  ragouts,  vege 
tables,  and  other  light  things,  until  not  only  was  the 
plate  completely  covered,  but  it  was  actually  covered 
in  double  and  triple  layers ;  mustard,  cold  butter,  salt, 
and  even  pepper,  garnishing  its  edges.     These  differ 
ent  accumulations  were  the  work  of  time  and  address, 
and  most  of  the  company  had  repeatedly  changed 
their  plates  before  Aristabulus  had  eaten  a  mouthful, 
the  soup  excepted.     The  happy  moment  when   his 
ingenuity  was  to  be  rewarded,  had  now  arrived,  and 
the  land  agent  was  about  to  commence  the  process 
of  mastication,  or  of  deglutition  rather,  for  he  troubled 
himself  very  little  with  the  first  operation,  when  the 
report  of  a  cork  drew  his  attention  towards  the  cham- 
paigne.     To  Aristabulus  this  wine  never  came  amiss, 
for,  relishing   its   piquancy,  he  had   never   gone  far 
enough  into  the  science  of  the  table  to  learn  which 
were  the  proper  moments  for  using  it.     As  respected 
all  the  others    at   table,  this   moment   had   in   truth 
arrived,  though,  as  respected  himself,  he  was  no  nearei 
to  it,  according  to  a  regulated  taste,  than  when  he 
first  took  his  seat.   Perceiving  that  Pierre  was  serving 
it,  however,  he  offered  his  own  glass,  and  enjoyed  a 
delicious  instant,  as  he  swallowed   a  beverage  that 
much  surpassed  any  thing  he  had  ever  known  to  issue 
out  of  the  waxed  and  leaded  nozles  that,  pointed  like 
so  many  enemies'  batteries,  loaded  with   headaches 
and  disordered   stomachs,  garnished   sundry  village 
bars  of  his  acquaintance. 

Aristabulus  finished  his  glass  at  a  draught,  and 
when  he  took  breath,  he  fairly  smacked  his  lips.  That 
was  an  unlucky  instant,  his  plate,  burthened  with 
all  its  treasures,  being  removed,  at  this  unguarded 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


27 


moment ;  the  man  who  performed  the  unkind  office, 
fancying  that  a  dislike  to  the  dishes  could  alone  have 
o-iven  rise  to  such  an  omnium-gather  urn. 
5  It  was  necessary  to  commence  de  novo,  but  this 
could  no  longer  be  done  with  the  first  course,  which 
was  removed,  and  Aristabulus  set-to,  with  zeal,  forth 
with,  on  the  game.   Necessity  compelled  him  to  eat,  as 
the  different  dishes  were  offered ;  and,  such  was  his 
ordinary  assiduity  with  the  knife  and  fork,  that,  at  the 
end  of  the  second  remove,  he  had  actually  disposed 
of  more  food  than  any  other  person  at  table.    He  now 
began  to  converse,  and  we  shall  open  the  conversa 
tion  at  the  precise  point  in  the  dinner,  when  it  was  in 
the  power  of  Aristabulus  to  make  one  of  the  interlo 
cutors. 

Unlike  Mr.  Dodge,  he  had  betrayed  no  peculiar 
interest  in  the  baronet,  being  a  man  too  shrewd  and 
worldly  to  set  his  heart  on  trifles  of  any  sort ;  and  Mr. 
Bragg  no  more  hesitated  about  replying  to  Sir  George 
Templemore,  or  Mr.  Effingham,  than  he  would  have 
hesitated  about  answering  one  of  his  own  nearest  asso 
ciates.  With  him  age  and  experience  formed  no  par 
ticular  claims  to  be  heard,  and,  as  to  rank,  it  is  true 
he  had  some  vague  ideas  about  there  being  such  a 
thing  in  the  militia,  but  as  it  was  unsalaried  rank,  he 
attached  no  great  importance  to  it.  Sir  George  Tem 
plemore  was  inquiring  concerning  the  recording  of 
deeds,  a  regulation  that  had  recently  attracted  atten 
tion  in  England ;  and  one  of  Mr.  Effingham's  replies 
contained  some  immaterial  inaccuracy,  which  Arista 
bulus  took  occasion  to  correct,  as  his  first  appearance 
in  the  general  discourse. 

"  I  ask  pardon,  sir,"  he  concluded  his  explanations 
by  saying,  "  but  I  ought  to  know  these  little  niceties, 
having  served  a  short  part  of  a  term  as  a  county 
clerk,  to  fill  a  vacancy  occasioned  by  a  death." 

"  You  mean,  Mr.  Bragg,  that  you  were  employed 
to  write  in  a  county  clerk's  office,"  observed  John 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 

Effingham,  who  so  much  disliked  untruth,  that  he  did 
not  hesitate  much  about  refuting  it;  or  what  he  now 
fancied  to  be  an  untruth. 

"As  county  clerk,  sir.  Major  Pippin  died  a  year 
before  his  time  was  out,  and  I  got  the  appointment. 
As  regular  a  county  clerk,  sir,  as  there  is  in  the  fifty- 
six  counties  of  New- York." 

"  When  I  had  the  honour  to  engage  you  as  Mr. 
-bfiingham's  agent,  sir,"  returned  the  other,  a  little 
sternly,  for  he  felt  his  own  character  for  veracity 
involved  in  that  of  the  subject  of  his  selection,  "I 
believe,  indeed,  that  you  were  writing  in  the  office, 
but  1  did  not  understand  it  was  as  the  clerk." 

"  Very  true,  Mr.  John,"  returned  Aristabulus,  with 
out  discovering  the  least  concern,  "I  was  then 
engaged  by  my  successor  as  a  clerk;  but  a  few 
months  earlier,  I  filled  the  office  myself." 

"  Had  you  gone  on,  in  the  regular  line  of  promo 
tion,  my  dear  sir,"  pithily  inquired  Captain  Truck, 
"  to  what  preferment  would  you  have  risen  by  this 

"I  believe  I  understand  you,  gentlemen,"  returned 

the   unmoved  Aristabulus,  who  perceived   a  general 

I  know  that  some  people  are  particular  about 

keeping  pretty  much  on  the  same  level,  as  to  office : 

hold  to  no  such  doctrine.     If  one  good  thing 

cannot  be  had,  I  do  not  see  that  it  is  a  reason  for 

rejecting  another.     I  ran  that  year  for  sheriff,  and 

finding  I  was  not  strong  enough  to  carry  the  county, 

I  accepted  my  successor's  offer  to  write  in  the  office, 

until  something  better  might  turn  up." 

"  You  practised  all  this  time,  I  believe,  Mr.  Bragg," 
observed  John  Effingham. 

"I  did  a  little  in  that  way,  too,  sir;  or  as  much  as 
1  could.  Law  is  flat  with  us,  of  late,  and  many  of 
the  attorneys  are  turning  their  attention  to  other 
callings." 

"  And  pray,  sir,"  asked  Sir  George,  « what  is  the 
favourite  pursuit  with  most  of  them,  just  now  ?" 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  Some  our  way  have  gone  into  the  horse-line ;  but 
much  the  greater  portion  are,  just  now,  dealing  in 
western  cities. 

"  In  western  cities !"  exclaimed  the  baronet,  looking 
as  if  he  distrusted  a  mystification. 

"In  such  articles,  and  in  mill-seats,  and  rail-road 
lines,  and  other  expectations." 

"  Mr.  Bragg  means  that  they  are  buying  and  sell 
ing  lands  on  which  it  is  hoped  "all  these  conveniences 
may  exist,  a  century  hence,"  explained  John  Effing- 
ham. 

«  The  hope  is  for  next  year,  or  next  week,  even,  Mr. 
John,"  returned  Aristabulus,  with  a  sly  look,  « though 
you  may  be  very  right  as  to  the  reality.  Great  for 
tunes  ha've  been 'made  on  a  capital  of  hopes,  lately,  in 
this  country." 

"  And  have  you  been  able,  yourself,  to  resist  thes< 
temptations'?"  asked  Mr.  Effingham.     "I  feel  doubly 
indebted  to  you,  sir,  that  you  should  have  continued 
to  devote  your  time  to  my  interests,  while  so  many 
better  things  were  offering." 

"  It  was  my  duty,  sir,"  said  Aristabulus,  bowing  so 
much  the  lower,  from  the  consciousness  that  he  had 
actually  deserted  his  post  for  some  months,  to 
embark  in  the  western  speculations  that  were  then  so 
active  in  the  country,  "  not  to  say  my  pleasure.  There 
are  many  profitable  occupations  in  this  country,  bir 
George,  that  have  been  overlooked  in  the  eagerness  to 

embark  in  the  town-trade " 

"  Mr.  Bragg  does  not  mean  trade  in  town,  but  trade 
in  towns,"  explained  John  Effingham. 

"  Yes,  sir,  the  traffic  in  cities.  I  never  come  this 
way,  without  casting  an  eye  about  me,  in  order  to  see 
if  there  is  any  thing  to  be  done  that  is  useful ;  and  I 
confess  that  several  available  opportunities  have 
offered,  if  one  had  capital.  Milk  is  a  good  business." 
"  Le  lait  /"  exclaimed  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  invol 
untarily. 

7  3* 


30  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

*'Yes,  ma'am,  for  ladies  as  well  as  gentlemea 
Sweet  potatoes  I  have  heard  well  spoken  of,  and 
peaches  are  really  making  some  rich  men's  fortunes." 

"  All  of  which  are  honester  and  better  occupations 
than  the  traffic  in  cities,  that  you  have  mentioned," 
quietly  observed  Mr.  Effingham. 

^  Aristabulus  looked  up  in  a  little  surprise,  for  with 
him  every  thing  was  eligible  that  returned  a  good 
profit,  and  all  things  honest  that  the  law  did  not  actu 
ally  punish.  Perceiving,  however,  that  the  company 
was  disposed  to  listen,  and  having,  by  this  time,  reco 
vered  the  lost  ground,  in  the  way  of  food,  he  cheer 
fully  resumed  his  theme. 

"  Many  families  have  left  Otsego,  this  and  the  last 
summer,  Mr.  Effingham,  as  emigrants  for  the  west. 
The  fever  has  spread  far  and  wide." 

"  The  fever !  Is  old  Otsego,"  for  so  its  inhabitants 
loved  to  call  a  county  of  half  a  century's  existence, 
it  being  venerable  by  comparison,  "  is  old  Otsego  losing 
its  well  established  character  for  .salubrity  ?" 

"  I  do  not  allude  to  an  animal  fever,  but  to  the  west 
ern  fever." 

"  Ce  pays  de  Fouest,  est-il  bien  malsain  ?"  whispered 
Mademoiselle  Viefville. 

"  Jlpparemment,  Mademoiselle,  sur  plusieurs  rap 
ports." 

"  The  western  fever  has  seized  old  and  young,  and 
it  has  carried  off  many  active  families  from  our  part 
of  the  world,"  continued  Aristabulus,  who  did  not  un 
derstand  the  little  aside  just  mentioned,  and  who,  of 
course,  did  not  heed  it ;  "  most  of  the  counties  adjoin 
ing  our  own  have  lost  a  considerable  portion  of  their 
population." 

"  And  they  who  have  gone,  do  they  belong  to  the 
permanent  families,  or  are  they  merely  the  floating  in 
habitants  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Effingham. 

"  Most  of  them  belong  to  the  regular  movers." 

"Movers!"  again  exclaimed  Sir  George — "is  there 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 

any  material  part  of  your  population  who  actually  de 
serve  this  name  1"  , 

"As  much  so  as  the  man  who  shoes  a  horse  ougni 
to  be  called  a  smith,  or  the  man  who  frames  a  house  a 
carpenter,"  answered  John  Effingham. 

"To  be  sure,"  continued  Mr.  Bragg,  «  we  have  a 
pretty  considerable  leaven  of  them  in  our  political 
dough,  as  well  as  in  our  active  business.  I  believe, 
Sir  George,  that  in  England,  men  are  tolerably  sta- 

10"  We  love  to  continue  for  generations  on  the  same 
spot  We  love  the  tree  that  our  forefathers  planted 
the  roof  that  they  built,  the  fire-side  by  which  they  sat, 
the  sods  that  cover  their  remains." 

"  Very  poetical,  and  I  dare  say  there  are  situations 
in  life,  in  which  such  feelings  come  in  without  much 
effort.  It  must  be  a  great  check  to  business  opera 
tions,  however,  in  your  part  of  the  world,  sir  !' 

"Business  operations !— what  is  business,  as  you 
term  it,  sir,  to  the  affections,  to  the  recollections  of  ances 
try,  and  to  the  solemn  feelings  connected  with  history 
and  tradition?' 

"  Why,  sir,  in  the  way  of  history,  one  meets  witl 
but  few  incumbrances  in  this  country,  but  he  may  do 
very  much  as  interest  dictates,  so  far  as  that  is  con 
cerned,  at  least.  A  nation  is  much  to  be  pitied  that  is 
weighed  down  by  the  past,  in  this  manner,  since  its  in 
dustry  and  enterprize  are  constantly  impeded  by  ob 
stacles  that  grow  out  of  its  recollections.  America 
may,  indeed,  be  termed  a  happy  and  a  free  country, 
Mr.  John  Effingham,  in  this,  as  well  as  m  all  other 
things  !" 

Sir  George  Templemore  was  too  well-bred  to  utter 
all  he  felt  at  that  moment,  as  it  would  unavoidably 
wound  the  feelings  of  his  hosts,  but  he  was  rewarded 
for  his  forbearance  by  intelligent  smiles  from  Eve  and 
Grace,  the  latter  of  whom  the  young  baronet  fancied, 
just  at  that  moment,  was  quite  as  beautiful  as  her 


HOME    AS    TOUND. 


cousin,  and  if  less  finished  in  manners,  she  had  the 
most  interesting  naivete. 

"  I  have  been  told  that  most  old  nations  have  to  strug 
gle  with  difficulties  that  we  escape,"  returned  John  Ef- 
nngham,  "  though  I  confess  this  is  a  superiority  on  our 
part,  that  never  before  presented  itself  to  my  rnind." 

"  The  political  economists,  and  even  the  geographers 
have  overlooked  it,  but  practical  men  see  and  feel  its 
advantages,  every  hour  in  the  day.     I  have  been  told 
bir  George  Templemore,  that  in  England,  there  are 
difficulties  m  running  high-ways  and  streets  through 
homesteads  and  dwellings ;  and  that  even  a  rail-road, 
or  a  canal,    is  obliged  to  make  a  curve  to  avoid  a 
church-yard  or  a  tomb-stone  V 
"  I  confess  to  the  sin,  sir." 

"Our  friend  Mr.  Bragg,"  put  in  John  Effingham, 
considers  life  as  all  means  and  no  end." 
"  An  end  cannot  be  got  at  without  the  means,  Mr 
John  Effingham,  as  I  trust  you  will,  yourself,  admit.' 
1  am  for  the  end  of  the  road,  at  least,  and  must  say 
that  I  rejoice  in  being  a  native  of  a  country  in  which 
as  few  impediments  as  possible  exist  to  onward  im 
pulses.     The  man  who  should  resist  an  improvement, 
m  our  part  of  the  country,  on  account  of  his  forefathers,' 
would  fare  badly  among  his  contemporaries." 

"  Will  you  permit  me  to  ask,  Mr.  Bragg,  if  you  feel 
no  local  attachments  yourself,"  enquired  the  baronet, 
throwing  as  much  delicacy  into  the  tones  of  his  voice] 
as  a  question  that  he  felt  ought  to  be  an  insult  to  a 
man's  heart,  would  allow—"  if  one  tree  is  not  more 
pleasant  than  another ;  .  the  house  you  were  born  in 
more  beautiful  than  a  house  into  which  you  never 
entered;  or  the  altar  at  which  you  have  long  wor 
shipped,  more  sacred  than  another  at  which  you  never 
knelt  s 

"Nothing  gives  me  greater  satisfaction  than  to 
answer  the  questions  of  gentlemen  that  travel  through 
our  country,"  returned  Anstabulus,  "for  I  think,  in 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


33 


making  nations  acquainted  with  each  other,  we  en 
courage  trade  and  render  business  more  secure.  To 
reply  to  your  inquiry,  a  human  being  is  not  a  cat,  to 
love  a  locality  rather  than  its  own  interests.  I  have 
found  some  trees  much  pleasanter  than  others,  and  the 
pleasantest  tree  I  can  remember  was  one  of  my  own, 
out  of  which  the  sawyers  made  a  thousand  feet  of 
clear  stuff,  to  say  nothing  of  middlings.  The  house  I 
was  born  in  was  pulled  down,  shortly  after  my  birth, 
as  indeed  has  been  its  successor,  so  I  can  tell  you  no 
thing  on  that  head ;  and  as  for  altars,  there  are  none 
in  my  persuasion." 

"  The  church  of  Mr.  Bragg  has  stripped  itself  as 
naked  as  he  would  strip  every  thing  else,  if  he  could," 
said  John  Effingham.  "  I  much  question  if  he  ever 
knelt  even ;  much  less  before  an  altar." 

"  We  are  of  the  standing  order,  certainly,"  returned 
Aristabulus,  glancing  towards  the  ladies  to  discover 
how  they  took  his  wit,  "  and  Mr.  John  Effingham  is  as 
near  right  as  a  man  need  be,  in  a  matter  of  faith.  In 
the  way  of  houses,  Mr.  Effingham,  I  believe  it  is  the 
general  opinion  you  might  have  done  better  with  your 
own,  than  to  have  repaired  it.  Had  the  materials  been 
disposed  of,  they  would  have  sold  well,  and  by  running 
a  street  through  the  property,  a  pretty  sum  might  have 
been  realized." 

"  In  which  case  I  should  have  been  without  a  home, 
Mr.  Bragg." 

"  It  would  have  been  no  great  matter  to  get  another 
on  cheaper  land.  The  old  residence  would  have  made 
a  good  factory,  or  an  inn." 

"  Sir,  I  am  a  cat,  and  like  the  places  I  have  long 
frequented." 

Aristabulus,  though  not  easily  daunted,  was  awed  by 
Mr.  Effingham's  manner,  and  Eve  saw  that  her  father's 
fine  face  had  flushed.  This  interruption,  therefore, 
suddenly  changed  the  discourse,  which  has  been  re 
lated  at  some  length,  as  likely  to  give  the  reader  a 


34  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

better  insight  into  a  character  that  will  fill  some  space 
in  our  narrative,  than  a  more  laboured  description. 

"  I  trust  your  owners,  Captain  Truck,"  said  John 
Effingham,  by  way  of  turning  the  conversation  into 
another  channel,  "  are  fully  satisfied  with  the  manner 
in  which  you  saved  their  property  from  the  hands  of 
the  Arabs?' 

"  Men,  when  money  is  concerned,  are  more  disposed 
to  remember  how  it  was  lost  than  how  it  was  recover 
ed,  religion  and  trade  being  the  two  poles,  on  such  a 
point,"  returned  the  old  seaman,  with  a  serious  face. 
"  On  the  whole,  my  dear  sir,  I  have  reason  to  be  satis 
fied,  however;  and  so  long  as  you,  my  passengers  and 
my  friends,  are  not  inclined  to  blame  me,  I  shall  feel 
as  if  I  had  done  at  least  a  part  of  my  duty." 

Eve  rose  from  table,  went  to  a  side-board  and  re 
turned,  when  she  gracefully  placed  before  the  master 
of  the  Montauk  a  rich  and  beautifully  chased  punch 
bowl,  in  silver.  Almost  at  the  same  moment,  Pierre 
offered  a  salver  that  contained  a  capital  watch,  a  pair 
of  small  silver  tongs  to  hold  a  coal,  and  a  deck  trum 
pet,  in  solid  silver. 

"  These  are  so  many  faint  testimonials  of  our  feel 
ings,"  said  Eve — "  and  you  will  do  us  the  favour  to 
retain  them,  as  evidences  of  the  esteem  created  by 
skill,  kindness,  and  courage." 

"  My  dear  young  lady  !"  cried  the  old  tar,  touched 
to  the  soul  by  the  feeling  with  which  Eve  acquitted 
herself  of  this  little  duty,  "  my  dear  young  lady — well, 
God  bless  you — God  bless  you  all — you  too,  Mr.  John 
Effingham,  for  that  matter — and  Sir  George — that  I 
should  ever  have  taken  that  runaway  for  a  gentleman 
and  a  baronet — though  I  suppose  there  are  some  silly 
baronets,  as  well  as  silly  lords — retain  them  ?" — glanc 
ing  furiously  at  Mr.  Aristabulus  Bragg,  "  may  the  Lord 
forget  me,  in  the  heaviest  hurricane,  if  I  ever  forget 
whence  these  things  came,  and  why  they  were  given.' 

Here  the  worthy  captain  was  obliged  to  swallow 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  35 

some  wine,  by  way  of  relieving  his  emotions,  and 
Aristabulus,  profiting  by  the  opportunity,  coolly  took 
the  bowl,  which,  to  use  a  word  of  his  own,  he  hefted 
in  his  hand,  with  a  view  to  form  some  tolerably  accu 
rate  notion  of  its  intrinsic  value.  Captain  Truck's  eye 
caught  the  action,  and  he  reclaimed  his  property  quite 
as  unceremoniously  as  it  had  been  taken  away,  nothing 
but  the  presence  of  the  ladies  preventing  an  outbreak 
ing  that  would  have  amounted  to  a  declaration  of  war. 
"  With  your  permission,  sir,"  said  the  captain,  drily, 
after  he  had  recovered  the  bowl,  not  only  without  the 
other's  consent,  but,  in  some  degree,  against  his  will ; 
"  this  bowl  is  as  precious  in  my  eyes  as  if  it  were 
made  of  my  father's  bones." 

"  You  may  indeed  think  so,"  returned  the  land-agent, 

"  for  its  cost  could  not  be  less  than  a  hundred  dollars." 

"  Cost,  sir ! — But,  my  dear  young  lady,  let  us  talk 

of  the  real  value.   For  what  part  of  these  things  am  I 

indebted  to  you?" 

"  The  bowl  is  my  offering,"  Eve  answered,  smiling 
ly,  though  a  tear  glistened  in  her  eye,  as  she  witnessed 
the  strong  unsophisticated  feeling  of  the  old  tar.  "  I 
thought  it  might  serve  sometimes  to  bring  me  to  your 
recollection,  when  it  was  well  filled  in  honour  of 
'  sweethearts  and  wives.'  " 

"  It  shall — it  shall,  by  the  Lord ;  and  Mr.  Saunders 
needs  look  to  it,  if  he  do  not  keep  this  work  as  bright 
as  a  cruising  frigate's  bottom.  To  whom  do  I  owe 
the  coal-tongs?" 

"  Those  are  from  Mr.  John  Effingham,  who  insists 
that  he  will  come  nearer  to  your  heart  than  any  of  us, 
though  the  gift  be  of  so  little  cost." 

"  He  does  not  know  me,  my  dear  young  lady — no 
body  ever  got  as  near  my  heart  as  you ;  no,  not  even 
my  own  dear  pious  old  mother.  But  I  thank  Mr.  John 
EiFingham  from  my  inmost  spirit,  and  shall  seldom 
smoke  without  thinking  of  him.  The  watch  I  know 
is  Mr.  Effingham's,  and  I  ascribe  the  trumpet  to  Sir 
^eorge." 


36  HOME    AS    FOUND. 


The  bows  of  the  several  gentlemen  assured  the  can 
tain  he  was  right,  and  he  shook  each  of  them  cordially 
by  the  hand,  protesting,  in  the  fulness  of  his  heart,  that 
nothing  would  give  him  greater  pleasure  than  to  be 
able  to  go  through  the  same  perilous  scenes  as  those 
from  which  they  had  so  lately  escaped,  in  their  good 
company  again. 

While  this  was  going  on,  Aristabulus,  notwith 
standing  the  rebuke  he  had  received,  contrived  to  get 
each  article,  in  succession,  into  his  hands,  and  by  dint 
of  poising  it  on  a  finger,  or  by  examining  it,  to  form 
some  approximative  notion  of  its  inherent  value  The 
watch  he  actually  opened,  taking  as  good  a  survey  of 
s  works  as  the  circumstances  of  the  case  would  very 
well  allow.  y 

"  I  respect  these  things,  sir,  more  than  you  respect 
your  father's  grave,"  said  Captain  Truck  sternly,  as 
he  rescued  the  last  article  from  what  he  thought  the 
impious  grasp  of  Aristabulus  again,  "and  caf  or  no 
cat,  they  sink  or  swim  with  me  for  the  remainder  of 
the  cruise.  If  there  is  any  virtue  in  a  will,  which  I 
am  sorry  to  say  I  hear  there  is  not  any  longer,  they 
shall  share  my  last  bed  with  me,  be  it  ashore  or  be  it 
afloat  My  dear  young  lady,  fancy  all  the  rest,  but 
depend  on  it,  punch  will  be  sweeter  than  ever  taken 
Irom  this  bowl,  and  'sweethearts  and  wives'  will 
never  be  so  honoured  again." 

"We  are  going  to  a  ball  this  evening,  at  the  house 
jt  one  with  whom  I  am  sufficiently  intimate  to  take 
3  liberty  of  introducing  a  stranger,  and  I  wish,  ^en 
tlemen,"  said  Mr.  Effingham,  bowing  to  Aristabulus 
and  the  captain,  by  way  of  changing  the  conversation, 
'  you  would  do  me  the  favour  to  be  of  our  party  " 

Mr.  Bragg  acquiesced  very  cheerfully,  and  quite  as 
a  matter  of  course;  while  Captain  Truck,  after  pro- 
testing  his  unfitness  for  such  scenes,  was  finally  pre- 
vailed  on  by  John  Effingham,  to  comply  with  the  re- 
quest  also.  The  ladies  remained  at  table  but  a  few 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


minutes  longer,  when  they  retired,  Mr.  Effingham 
having  dropped  into  the  old  custom  of  sitting  at  the 
bottle,  until  summoned  to  the  drawing-room,  a  usage 
that  continues  to  exist  in  America,  for  a  reason  no 
better  than  the  fact  that  it  continues  to  exist  in  England ; 

it  being  almost  certain  that  it  will  cease  in  New-York, 

the  season  after  it  is  known  to  have  ceased  in  London. 


CHAPTER  III. 


"  Thou  art  as  wise  as  thou  art  beautiful !" 

SHAKSPEARE. 

As  Captain  Truck  asked  permission  to  initiate  the 
new  coal-tongs  by  lighting  a  cigar,  Sir  George  Tem- 
plemore  contrived  to  ask  Pierre,  in  an  aside,  if  the  la 
dies  would  allow  him  to  join  them.  The  desired  con 
sent  having  been  obtained,  the  baronet  quietly  stole 
from  table,  and  was  soon  beyond  the  odours  of  the 
dining-room. 

"  You  miss  the  censer  and  the  frankincense,"  said 
Eve,  laughing,  as  Sir  George  entered  the  drawing- 
room  ;  "  but  you  will  remember  we  have  no  church 
establishment,  and  dare  not  take  such  liberties  with  the 
ceremonials  of  the  altar." 

"  That  is  a  short-lived  custom  with  us,  I  fancy, 
though  far  from  an  unpleasant  one.  But  you  do  me 
injustice  in  supposing  I  am  merely  running  away  from 
the  fumes  of  the  dinner." 

"No,  no;  we  understand  perfectly  well  that  you 
have  something  to  do  with  the  fumes  of  flattery,  and 
we  will  at  once  fancy  all  has  been  said  that  the  occa 
sion  requires.  Is  not  our  honest  old  captain  a  jewel 
in  his  way  ?" 

"  Upon  my  word,  since  you  allow  me  to  speak  of 
your  father's  guests,  I  do  not  think  it  possible  to  have 
4 


38  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

brought  together  two  men  who  are  so  completely  the 
opposites  of  each  other,  as  Captain  Truck  and  this  Mr. 
Aristabulus  Bragg.  The  latter  is  quite  the  most  extra 
ordinary  person  in  his  way,  it  was  ever  my  good  for 
tune  to  meet  with." 

"  You  call  him  a  person,  while  Pierre  calls  him  a 
personnage ;  I  fancy  he  considers  it  very  much  as  a 
matter  of  accident,  whether  he  is  to  pass  his  days  in 
the  one  character  or  in  the  other.  Cousin  Jack  assures 
me,  that,  while  this  man  accepts  almost  any  duty  that 
he  chooses  to  assign  him,  he  would  not  deem  it  at  all 
a  violation  of  the  convenances  to  aim  at  the  throne  in 
the  White  House." 

"  Certainly  with  no  hopes  of  ever  attaining  it !" 

"  One  cannot  answer  for  that.  The  man  must  un 
dergo  many  essential  changes,  and  much  radical  im 
provement,  before  such  a  climax  to  his  fortunes  can 
ever  occur;  but  the  instant  you  do  away  with  the 
claims  of  hereditary  power,  the  door  is  opened  to  a 
new  chapter  of  accidents.  Alexander  of  Russia  styled 
himself  un  heurcux  accident;  and  should  it  ever  be  oui 
fortune  to  receive  Mr.  Bragg  as  President,  we  shal? 
only  have  to  term  him  un  malheureux  accident.  1 
believe  that  will  contain  all  the  difference." 

"  Your  republicanism  is  indomitable,  Miss  Effingham, 
and  I  shall  abandon  the  attempt  to  convert  you  to  safer 
principles,  more  especially  as  I  find  you  supported  by 
both  the  Mr.  Effinghams,  who,  while  they  condemn  so 
much  at  home,  seem  singularly  attached  to  their  own 
system  at  the  bottom." 

"  They  condemn,  Sir  George  Templemore,  because 
they  know  that  perfection  is  hopeless,  and  because 
they  feel  it  to  be  unsafe  and  unwise  to  eulogize  defects, 
and  they  are  attached,  because  near  views -of  other 
countries  have  convinced  them  that,  comparatively  at 
least,  bad  as  we  are,  we  are  still  better  than  most  of 
our  neighbours." 

"  I  can  assure  you,"  said  Grace,  "  that  many  of  the 
opinions  of  Mr  John  Effingham,  in  particular,  are  not 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 

at  all  the  opinions  that  are  most  in  vogue  here ;  he 
rather  censures  what  we  like,  and  likes  what  we  cen 
sure.  Even  my  dear  uncle  is  thought  to  be  a  little 
heterodox  on  such  subjects." 

"I  can  readily  believe  it,"  returned  Eve,  steadily. 

"  These  gentlemen,  having  become  familiar  with  better 
things,  in  the  way  of  the  tastes,  and  of  the  purely 
agreeable,  cannot  "discredit  their  own  knowledge  so 
much  as  to  extol  that  which  their  own  experience  tells 
them  is  faulty,  or  condemn  that  which  their  own  expe 
rience  tells  them  is  relatively  good.  Now,  Grace,  if 
you  will  reflect  a  moment,  you  will  perceive  that  peo 
ple  necessarily  like  the  best  of  their  own  tastes,  until  \S 
they  come  to  a  knowledge  of  better ;  and  that  they  as 
necessarily  quarrel  with  the  unpleasant  facts  that  sur 
round  them ;  although  these  facts,  as  consequences  of 
a  political  system,  may  be  much  less  painful  than  those 
of  other  systems  of  which  they  have  no  knowledge. 
In  the  one  case,  they  like  their  own  best,  simply  because 
it  is  their  own  best;  and  they  dislike  their  own  worst, 
because  it  is  their  own  worst.  We  cherish  a  taste,  in 
(he  nature  of  things,  without  entering  into  any  compa- 
•isons,  for  when  the  means  of  comparison  offer,  and 
We  find  improvements,  it  ceases  to  be  a  taste  at  all ; 
while  to  complain  of  any  positive  grievance,  is  the 
[nature  of  man,  I  fear !" 

"  I  think  a  republic  odious  !" 
"  Le  republique  est  une  horreur  /" 
Grace  thought  a  republic  odious,  without  knowing 
any  thing  of  any  other  state  of  society,  and  because 
it  contained  odious  things ;  and  Mademoiselle  Viefville 
called  a  republic  une  Horreur,  because  heads  fell  and 
anarchy  prevailed  in  her  own  country,  during  its  early 
struggles  for  liberty.  Though  Eve  seldom  spoke  more 
sensibly,  and  never  more  temperately,  than  while  deli 
vering  the  foregoing  opinions,  Sir  George  Templemore 
doubted  whether  she  had  all  that  exquisite  finesse  and 
delicacy  of  features,  that  he  had  so  much  admired  ;  and 


40  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

when  Grace  burst  out  in  the  sudden  and  senseless 
exclamation  we  have  recorded,  he  turned  towards  her 
sweet  and  animated  countenance,  which,  for  the  mo 
ment,  he  fancied  the  loveliest  of  the  two. 

Eve  Effingham  had  yet  to  learn  that  she  had  just 
entered  into  the  most  intolerant  society,  meaning  purely 
as  society,  and  in  connexion  with  what  are  usually 
called  liberal  sentiments,  in  Christendom.  We  do  not 
mean  by  this,  that  it  would  be  less  safe  to  utter  a  gene 
rous  opinion  in  favour  of  human  rights  in  America  than 
in  any  other  country,  for  the  laws  and  the  institutions 
become  active  in  this  respect,  but  simply,  that  the  resist 
ance  of  the  more  refined  to  the  encroachments  of  the 
unrefined,  has  brought  about  a  state  of  feeling — a  feel 
ing  that  is  seldom  just  and  never  philosophical — which 
has  created  a  silent  but  almost  unanimous  bias  against 
the  effects  of  the  institutions,  in  what  is  called  the 
world.  In  Europe,  one  rarely  utters  a  sentiment  of 
this  nature,  under  circumstances  in  which  it  is  safe  to 
do  so  at  all,  without  finding  a  very  general  sympathy 
in  the  auditors ;  but  in  the  circle  into  which  Eve  had 
now  fallen,  it  was  almost  considered  a  violation  of  the 
proprieties.  We  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  say 
ing  more  than  we  mean,  however,  for  we  have  nfy 
manner  of  doubt  that  a  large  portion  of  the  dissentients 
even,  are  so  idly,  and  without  reflection ;  or  for  the 
very  natural  reasons  already  given  by  our  heroine ; 
but  we  do  wish  to  be  understood  as  meaning  that  such 
is  the  outward  appearance  which  American  society 
presents  to  every  stranger,  and  to  every  native  of  the 
country  too,  on  his  return  from  a  residence  among 
other  people.  Of  its  taste,  wisdom  and  safety  we 
shall  not  now  speak,  but  content  ourselves  with  merely 
saying  that  the  effect  of  Grace's  exclamation  on  Eve 
was  unpleasant,  and  that,  unlike  the  baronet,  she 
thought  her  cousin  was  never  less  handsome  than 
while  her  pretty  face  was  covered  with  the  pettish 
frown  it  had  assumed  for  the  occasion. 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


41 


Sir  George  Templemore  had  tact  enough  to  perceive 
there  had  been  a  slight  jar  in  the  feelings  of  these  two 
young  women,  and  he  adroitly  changed  the  conversa 
tion.  With  Eve  he  had  entire  confidence  on  the  score 
of  provincialisms,  and,  without  exactly  anticipating 
the  part  Grace  would  be  likely  to  take  in  such  a  dis 
cussion,  he  introduced  the  subject  of  general  society 
in  New- York. 

"  I  am  desirous  to  know,"  he  said,  "  if  you  have 
your  sets,  as  we  have  them  in  London  and  Paris. 
Whether  you  have  your  Faubourg  St.  Germain  and 
your  C/iaussee  cPJlnt'm ;  your  Piccadilly,  Grosvenor 
and  Russel  Squares.'* 

"  I  must  refer  you  to  Miss  Van  Cortlandt  for  an 
answer  to  that  question,"  said  Eve. 

Grace  looked  up  blushing,  for  there  were  both  no 
velty  and  excitement  in  having  an  intelligent  foreigner 
question  her  on  such  a  subject. 

«.•  I  do  not  know  that  I  rightly  understand  the  allu 
sion,"  she  said,  "  although  I  am  afraid  Sir  George  Tem 
plemore  means  to  ask  if  we  have  distinctions  in  so 
ciety  ?' 

"  And  why  afraid,  Miss  Van  Cortlandt '?" 

"  Because  it  'strikes  me  such  a  question  would  imply 
a  doubt  of  our  civilization." 

"  There  are  frequently  distinctions  made,  when 
the  differences  are  not  obvious,"  observed  Eve.  "Even 
London  and  Paris  are  not  above  the  imputation  of  this 
folly.  Sir  George  Templemore,  if  I  understand  him, 
wishes  to  know  if  we  estimate  gentility  by  streets,  and 
quality  by  squares." 

"  Not  exactly  that  either,  Miss  Effingham — but,  whe 
ther  among  those,  who  may  very  well  pass  for  gentle 
men  and  ladies,  you  enter  into  the  minute  distinctions 
that  are  elsewhere  found.-  Whether  you  have  your 
exclusives,  and  your  (Kgants  and  tltgantes ;  or  whe 
ther  you  deem  all  within  the  pale  as  on  an  equality." 


42  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"Lesfemmcs  Jlmericaines  sont  bienjolies !"  exclaimed 
Mademoiselle  Viefville. 

"  It  is  quite  impossible  that  coteries  should  not  form 
in  a  town  of  three  hundred  thousand  souls." 

"  I  do  not  mean  exactly  even  that.  Is  there  no  dis 
tinction  between  coteries ;  is  not  one  placed  by  opinion, 
by  a  silent  consent,  if  not  by  positive  ordinances,  above 
mother  ?" 

I  "  Certainly,  that  to  which  Sir  George  Templemore 
modes,  is  to  be  found,"  said  Grace,  who  gained  cou- 
fage  to  speak,  as  she  found  the  subject  getting  to  be 
more  clearly  within  her  comprehension.  "  All  the  old 
families,  for  instance,  keep  more  together  than  the 
others  ;  though  it  is  the  subject  of  regret  that  they  are 
not  more  particular  than  they  are." 

"  Old  families !"  exclaimed  Sir  George  Templemore, 
with  quite  as  much  stress  as  a  well-bred  man  could 
very  \vell  lay  on  the  words,  in  such  circumstances. 

"  Old  families,"  repeated  Eve,  with  all  that  empha 
sis  which  the  baronet  himself  had  hesitated  about  giv 
ing.  "As  old,  at  least,  as  two  centuries  can  make 
them ;  and  this,  too,  with  origins  beyond  that  period, 
like  those  of  the  rest  of  the  world.  Indeed,  the  Ame 
rican  has  a  better  gentility  than  common,  as,  besides 
his  own,  he  may  take  root  in  that  of  Europe." 

"  Do  not  misconceive  me,  Miss  Effingham ;  I  am 
fully  aware  that  the  people  of  this  country  are  exactly 
like  the  people  of  all  other  civilized  countries,  in  this 
respect;  but  my  surprise  is  that,  in  a  republic,  you 
should  have  such  a  term  even  as  that  of  « old  families.'" 

"  The  surprise  has  arisen,  I  must  be  permitted  to  say, 

from  not  having  sufficiently  reflected  on  the  real  state 

of  the  country.     There  are  two  great  causes  of  dis- 

itinction  every  where,  wealth  and  merit.     Now,  if  a 

[race  of  Americans  continue  conspicuous  in  their  own 

society,  through  either  or  both  of  these  causes,  for  a 

^succession  of  generations,  why  have  they  not  the  same 

claims  to  be  considered  members  of  old  families,  as 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  43 

Europeans  under  the  same  circumstances?  A  re 
publican  history  is  as  much  history  as  a  monarchical 
history  ;  and  a  historical  name  in  one,  is  quite  as  much 
entitled  to  consideration,  as  a  historical  name  in  ano 
ther.  Nay,  you  admit  this  in  your  European  repub 
lics,  while  you  wish  to  deny  it  in  ours." 

"  I  must  insist  on  having  proofs ;  if  we  permit  these 
charges  to  be  brought  against  us  without  evidence, 
Mademoiselle  Viefville,  we  shall  finally  be  defeated 
through  our  own  neglect." 

"  Vest  une  belle  illustration,  celle  de  I'antiquite"  ob 
served  the  governess,  in  a  matter  of  course  tone. 

"  If  you  insist  on  proof,  what  answer  can  you  urge 
to  the  Capponi  ?  '  Sonnez  vos  trompettes,  et  je  vaisfaire 
sonner  mes  cloches,' — or  to  the  Von  Erlachs,  a  family 
that  has  headed  so  many  resistances  to  oppression  and 
invasion,  for  five  centuries  ?' 

"  All  this  is  very  true,"  returned  Sir  George,  "  and 
yet  I  confess  it  is  not  the  way  in  which  it  is  usual  with 
us  to  consider  American  society." 

"  A  descent  from  Washington,  with  a  character  and 
a  social  position  to  correspond,  would  not  be  abso 
lutely  vulgar,  notwithstanding !" 

"  Nay,  if  you  press  me  so  hard,  I  must  appeal  to 
Miss  Van  Cortlandt  for  succour." 

"  On  this  point  you  will  find  no  support  in  that 
quarter.  Miss  Van  Cortlandt  has  an  historical  name 
herself,  and  will  not  forego  an  honest  pride,  in  order 
to  relieve  one  of  the  hostile  powers  from  a  dilemma." 
"  While  I  admit  that  time  arid  merit  must,  in  a  certain 
sense,  place  families  in  America  in  the  same  situation 
with  families  in  Europe,  I  cannot  see  that  it  is  in  con 
formity  with  your  institutions  to  lay  the  same  stress  on 
.'the  circumstance." 

/  "In  that  we  are  perfectly  of  a  mind,  as  I  think  the 
American  has  much  the  best  reason  to  be  proud  of  his 
family,"  said  Eve,  quietly. 

"  You  delight  in  paradoxes,  apparently,  this  evening, 
Miss  Effingham,  for  I  now  feel  very  certain  you  can 


44  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

hardly  make  out  a  plausible  defence  of  this  new  posi 
tion." 

"  If  I  had  my  old  ally,  Mr.  Powis,  here,"  said  Eve, 
touching  the  fender  unconsciously  with  her  little  foot, 
and  perceptibly  losing  the  animation  and  pleasantry  of 
her  voice,  in  tones  that  were  gentler,  if  not  melancholy, 
"  I  should  ask  him  to  explain  this  matter  to  you,  for  he 
was  singularly  ready  in  such  replies.  As  he  is  absent, 
however,  I  will  attempt  the  duty  myself.  In  Europe, 
office,  power,  and  consequently,  consideration,  are  all. 
hereditary ;  whereas,  in  this  country,  they  are  not,  but* 
they  depend  on  selection.  Now,  surely,  one  has  more 
reason  to  be  proud  of  ancestors  W7ho  have  been  chosen 
to  fill  responsible  stations,  than  of  ancestors  who  have 
filled  them  through  the  accidents,  heureux  ou  malkeu- 
reuz,  of  birth.  The  only  difference  between  England 
and  America,  as  respects  family,  is  that  you  add  posi 
tive  rank  to  that  to  which  we  only  give  consideration. 
Sentiment  is  at  the  bottom  of  our  nobility,  and  the 
great  seal  at  the  bottom  of  yours.  And  now,  having 
established  the  fact  that  there  are  families  in  America, 
let  us  return  whence  we  started,  and  enquire  how  far 
they  have  an  influence  in  every-day  society." 

'*  To  ascertain  which,  we  must  apply  to  Miss  Van 
Cortlandt." 

"  Much  less  than  they  ought,  if  my  opinion  is  to  be 
taken,"  said  Grace,  laughing,  "  for  the  great  inroad  of 
strangers  has  completely  deranged  all  the  suitable 
nesses,  in  that  respect." 

"  And  yet,  I  dare  say,  these  very  strangers  do  good," 
rejoined  Eve.  "  Many  of  them  must  have  been  re 
spectable  in  their  native  places,  and  ought  to  be  an  ac 
quisition  to  a  society  that,  in  its  nature,  must  be,  Grace, 
tant  salt  peu,  provincial." 

"Oh!"  cried  Grace,  "I  can  tolerate  any  tiling  but 
the  Hajjis !" 

"  The  what  ?"  asked  Sir  George,  eagerly — "  will  you 
suffer  me  to  ask  an  explanation,  Miss  Van  Cortlandt.' 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  45 

"  The  Hajjis,"  repeated  Grace  laughing,  though  she 
blushed  to  the  eyes. 

The  baronet  looked  from  one  cousin  to  the  other, 
and  then  turned  an  inquiring  glance  on  Mademoiselle 
Viefville.  The  latter  gave  a  slight  shrug,  and  seemed 
to  ask  an  explanation  of  the  young  lady's  meaning 
herself. 

"A  Hajji  is  one  of  a  class,  Sir  George  Temple- 
more,"  Eve  at  length  said,  "  to  which  you  and  I  have 
both  the  honour  of  belonging." 

"No,  not  Sir  George  Templemore,"  interrupted 
Grace,  with  a  precipitation  that  she  instantly  regretted ; 
"  he  is  not  an  American." 

"  Then  I,  alone,  of  all  present,  have  that  honour.  It 
means  the  pilgrimage  to  Paris,  instead  of  Mecca  ;  and 
the  Pilgrim  must  be  an  American,  instead  of  a  Ma- 
hommedan." 

"Nay,  Eve,  you  are  not  a  Hajji,  neither." 

"  Then  there  is  some  qualification  with  which  I  am 
not  yet  acquainted.  Will  you  relieve  our  doubts, 
Grace,  and  let  us  know  the  precise  character  of  the 
animal." 

"  You  stayed  too  long  to  be  a  Hajji — one  must  get 
innoculated  merely ;  not  take  the  disease  and  become 
cured,  to  be  a  true  Hajji." 

"  I  thank  you,  Miss  Van  Cortlandt,  for  this  descrip 
tion,"  returned  Eve  in  her  quiet  way.  "  I  hope,  as  I 
have  gone  through  the  malady,  it  has  not  left  me  pit 
ted." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  one  of  these  Hajjis,"  cried  Sir 
George. — "  Are  they  of  both  sexes  ?" 

Grace  laughed  and  nodded  her  head. 

"  Will  you  point  it  out  to  me,  should  we  be  so  fortu 
nate  as  to  encounter  one  this  evening  ?" 

Again  Grace  laughed  and  nodded  her  head. 

"  I  have  been  thinking,  Grace,"  said  Eve,  after  a 
short  pause,  "  that  we  may  give  Sir  George  Temple- 
more  a  better  idea  of  the  sets  about  which  he  is  so 


46  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

curious,  by  doing  what  is  no  more  than  a  duty  of  our 
own,  and  by  letting  him  profit  by  the  opportunity. 
Mrs.  Hawker  receives  this  evening  without  ceremony  ; 
we  have  not  yet  sent  our  answer  to  Mrs.  Jarvis,  and 
might  very  well  look  in  upon  her  for  half  an  hour, 
after  which  we  shall  be  in  very  good  season  for  Mrs. 
Houston's  ball." 

"Surely,  Eve,  you  would  not  wish  to  take  Sir 
George  Templemore  to  such  a  house  as  that  of  Mrs. 
Jarvis !" 

"  /  do  not  wish  to  take  Sir  George  Templemore  any 
where,  for  your  Hajjis  have  opinions  of  their  own  on 
such  subjects.  But,  as  cousin  Jack  will  accompany 
us,  he  may  very  well  confer  that  important  favour.  I 
dare  say,  Mrs.  Jarvis  will  not  look  upon  it  as  too  great 
a  liberty." 

"  I  will  answer  for  it,  that  nothing  Mr.  John  Effing- 
ham  can  do  will  be  thought  mal  &  propos  by  Mrs. 
Jared  Jarvis.  His  position  in  society  is  too  well 
established,  and  hers  is  too  equivocal,  to  leave  any 
doubt  on  that  head." 

"  This,  you  perceive,  settles  the  point  of  coteries" 
said  Eve  to  the  baronet.  "  Volumes  might  be  written 
to  establish  principles ;  but  when  one  can  do  any  thing 
he  or  she  pleases,  any  where  that  he  or  she  likes,  it  is 
pretty  safe  to  say  that  he  or  she  is  privileged." 

"  All  very  true,  as  to  the  fact,  Miss  Effingham ;  but 
I  should  like  exceedingly  to  know  the  reason." 

"  Half  the  time,  such  things  are  decided  without  a 
reason  at  all.  You  are  a  little  exacting  in  requiring 
a  reason  in  New-York  for  that  which  is  done  in  Lon 
don  without  even  the  pretence  of  such  a  thing.  It  is 
sufficient  that  Mrs.  Jarvis  will  be  delighted  to  see  you 
without  an  invitation,  and  that  Mrs.  Houston  would, 
at  least,  think  it  odd,  were  you  to  take  the  same 
liberty  with  her." 

"  It  follows,"  said  Sir  George,  smiling,  "  that  Mrs. 
Jarvis  is  much  the  most  hospitable  person  of  the  two." 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


"  But,  Eve,  what  shall  be  done  with  Captain  Truck 
and  Mr.  Bragg?"  asked  Grace.  "We  cannot  take 
them  to  Mrs.  Hawker's !" 

"  Aristabulus  would,  indeed,  be  a  little  out  of  place 
in  such  a  house,  but  as  for  our  excellent,  brave, 
straight-forward,  old  captain,  he  is  worthy  to  go  any 
where.  I  shall  be  delighted  to  present  him  to  Mrs. 
Hawker,  myself." 

After  a  little  consultation  between  the  ladies,  it  was 
settled  that  nothing  should  be  said  of  the  two  first 
visits  to  Mr.  Bragg,  but  that  Mr.  Effingham  should  be 
requested  to  bring  him  to  the  ball,  at  the  proper  hour, 
and  that  the  rest  of  the  party  should  go  quietly  off  to 
the  other  places,  without  mentioning  their  projects. 
As  soon  as  this  wras  arranged  the  ladies  retired  to 
dress,  Sir  George  Templemore  passing  into  the  library 
to  amuse  himself  with  a  book  the  while ;  where,  how 
ever,  he  was  soon  joined  by  John  Effingham.  Here 
the  former  revived  the  conversation  on  distinctions  in 
society,  with  the  confusion  of  thought  that  usually 
marks  a  European's  notions  of  such  matters. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

"  Ready." 

"And  I." 

"And  I." 

"Where  shall  we  go?" 
MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S 

GRACE  VAN  CORTLANDT  was  the  first  to  make  her 
appearance  after  the  retreat  from  the  drawing-room 
It  has  often  been  said  that,  pretty  as  the  American 
females  mcontestably  are,  as  a  whole  they  appear 
better  in  demi-toiktte,  than  when  attired  for  a  ball. 
With  what  would  be  termed  high  dress  in  other  parts 


48  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

of  the  world,  they  are  little  acquainted ;  but  reversing 
the  rule  of  Europe,  where  the  married  bestow  the 
most  care  on  their  personal  appearance,  and  the  single 
are  taught  to  observe  a  rigid  simplicity,  Grace  now 
seemed  sufficiently  ornamented  in  the  eyes  of  the  fas 
tidious  baronet,  while,  at  the  same  time,  he  thought 
her  less  obnoxious  to  the  criticism  just  mentioned, 
than  most  of  her  young  countrywomen,  in  general. 

An  embonpoint  that  was  just  sufficient  to  distin 
guish  her  from  most  of  her  companions,  a  fine  colour, 
brilliant  eyes,  a  sweet  smile,  rich  hair,  and  such  feet 
and  hands  as  Sir  George  Templemore  had,  somehow — 
he  scarcely  knew  how,  himself — fancied  could  only 
belong  to  the  daughters  of  peers  and  princes,  rendered 
Grace  so  strikingly  attractive  this  evening,  that  the 
young  baronet  began  to  think  her  even  handsomer 
than  her  cousin.  There  was  also  a  charm  in  the 
unsophisticated  simplicity  of  Grace,  that  was  particu 
larly  alluring  to  a  man  educated  amidst  the  coldness 
and  mannerism  of  the  higher  classes  of  England.  In 
Grace,  too,  this  simplicity  was  chastened  by  perfect 
decorum  and  retenue  of  deportment  ;  the  exube 
rance  of  the  new  school  of  manners  not  having  helped 
to  impair  the  dignity  of  her  character,  or  to  weaken 
the  charm  of  diffidence.  She  was  less  finished  in  her 
manners  than  Eve,  certainly ;  a  circumstance,  perhaps, 
that  induced  Sir  George  Templemore  to  fancy  her 
a  shade  more  simple,  but  she  was  never  unfeminine 
or  unladylike ;  and  the  term  vulgar,  in  despite  of  all 
the  capricious  and  arbitrary  rules  of  fashion,  under 
no  circumstances,  could  ever  be  applied  to  Grace 
Van  Cortlandt.  In  this  respect,  nature  seemed  to 
have  aided  her ;  for  had  not  her  associations  raised 
her  above  such  an  imputation,  no  one  could  believe 
that  she  would  be  obnoxious  to  the  charge,  had  her 
lot  in  life  been  cast  even  many  degrees  lower  than  it 
actually  was. 

It  is  well  known  that,  after  a  sufficient  similarity 


I 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  49 

has  been  created  by  education  to  prevent  any  violent 
shocks  to  our  habits  or  principles,  \ve  most  affect 
those  whose  characters  and  dispositions  the  least 
resemble  our  own.  This  was  probably  one  of  the 
reasons  why  Sir  George  Templemore,  who,  for  some 
time,  had  been  well  assured  of  the  hopelessness  of  his 
suit  with  Eve,  began  to  regard  her  scarcely  less 
lovely  cousin,  with  an  interest  of  a  novel  and  lively 
nature.  Quick-sighted  and  deeply  interested  in  Grace's 
happiness,  Miss  Effingham  had  already  detected  this 
change  in  the  young  baronet's  inclinations,  and  though 
sincerely  rejoiced  on  her  own  account,  she  did  not 
observe  it  without  concern ;  for  she  understood  better 
than  most  of  her  countrywomen,  the  great  hazards 
of  destroying  her  peace  of  mind,  that  are  incurred  by 
transplanting  an  American  woman  into  the  more  arti 
ficial  circles  of  the  old  world. 

"  I  shall  rely  on  your  kind  offices,  in  particular, 
Miss  Van  Cortlandt,  to  reconcile  Mrs.  Jarvis  and 
Mrs.  Hawker  to  the  liberty  I  am  about  to  take,"  cried 
Sir  George,* as  Grace  burst  upon  them  in  the  library, 
in  a  blaze  of  beauty  that,  in  her  case,  was  aided  by 
her  attire ;  "  and  cold-hearted  and  unchristian-like 
women  they  must  be,  indeed,  to  resist  such  a  medi 
ator  !" 

Grace  \vas  unaccustomed  to  adulation  of  this  sort ; 
for  though  the  baronet  spoke  gaily,  and  like  one  half 
trifling,  his  look  of  admiration  was  too  honest  to 
escape  the  intuitive  perception  of  woman.  She 
blushed  deeply,  and  then  recovering  herself  instantly, 
said  with  a  naivete  that  had  a  thousand  charms  with 
her  listener — 

"I  do  not  see  why  Miss  Effingham  and  myself 
phould  hesitate  about  introducing  you  at  either  place. 
Mrs.  Hawker  is  a  relative  and  an  intimate — an  inti 
mate  of  mine,  at  least — and  as  for  poor  Mrs.  Jarvis, 
she  is  the  daughter  of  an  old  neighbour,  and  will  be 
5 


50  HOME    AS    TOUND. 

too  glad  to  see  us,  to  raise  objections.     I  fancy  any 
one  of  a  certain "  Grace  hesitated  and  laughed. 

"  Any  one  of   a  certain ?  "  said   Sir  George, 

inquiringly. 

**  Any  one  from  this  house,"  resumed  the  young  lady, 
correcting  the  intended  expression,  "  will  be  welcome 
in  Spring  street." 

"  Pure,  native  aristocracy !"  exclaimed  the  baronet 
with  an  air  of  affected  triumph.  "  This  you  see,  Mr. 
John  Effingham,  is  in  aid  of  my  argument." 

"  I  am  quite  of  your  opinion,"  returned  the  gentle 
man  addressed — "  as  much  native  aristocracy  as  you 
please,  but  no  hereditary." 

The  entrance  of  Eve  and  Mademoiselle  Viefville 
interrupted  this  pleasantry,  and  the  carriages  being 
just  then  announced,  John  Effingham  went  in  quest  of 
Captain  Truck,  who  was  in  the  drawing-room  with 
Mr.  Effingham  and  Aristabulus. 

"  I  have  left  Ned  to  discuss  trespass  suits  and  leases 
with  his  land-agent,"  said  John  Effingham,  as  he  fol 
lowed  Eve  to  the  street-door.  "  By  ten  o'clock,  they 
will  have  taxed  "a  pretty  bill  of  costs  between  them !" 
^  Mademoiselle  Viefville  followed  John  Effingham ; 
Grace  came  next,  and  Sir  George  Templemore  and 
the  Captain  brought  up  the  rear.  Grace  wondered  the 
young  baronet  did  not  offer  her  his  arm,  for  she  had 
been  accustomed  to  receive  this  attention  from  the 
other  sex,  in  a  hundred  situations  in  which  it  was  rather 
an  incumbrance  than  a  service;  while  on  the  other 
hand,  Sir  George  himself  would  have  hesitated  about 
offering  such  assistance,  as  an  act  of  uncalled-for  fami 
liarity. 

Miss  Van  Cortlandt,  being  much  in  society,  kept  a 
chariot  for  her  own  use,  and  the  three  ladies  took  their 
seats  in  it,  while  the  gentlemen  took  possession  of  Mr. 
Effingham's  coach.  The  order  was  given  to  drive  to 
Spring  street,  and  the  whole  party  proceeded. 

The  acquaintance  between  the  Effinghams  and  Mr, 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  51 

farvis  had  arisen  from  the  fact  of  their  having  been 
near,  and,  in  a  certain  sense,  sociable  neighbours  in  the 
country.     Their  town  associations,  however,  were  as 
distinct  as  if  they  dwelt  in  different  hemispheres,  with 
the  exception  of  an  occasional  morning  call,  and,  now 
and   then,  a  family  dinner  given  by  Mr.  Effinghain. 
Such  had  been  the  nature  of  the  intercourse  previously 
to  the  family  of  the  latter's  having  gone  abroad,  and 
there  were  symptoms  of  its  being  renewed  on  the  same 
quiet  and  friendly  footing  as  formerly.   But  no  two  be 
ings  could  be  less  alike,  in  certain  essentials,  than  Mr. 
Jarvis  and  his  wife.     The  former  was  a  plain  pains 
taking,  sensible  man  of  business,  while  the  latter  had 
an  itching  desire  to  figure  in  the  world  of  fashion. 
The  first  was  perfectly  aware  that  Mr.  Effingham,  in 
education,  habits,  associations  and  manners,  was,  at 
east,  of  a  class  entirely  distinct  from  his  own ;  and 
vithout  troubling  himself  to  analyze  causes,  and  with- 
)ut  a  feeling  of  envy,  or  unkindness  of  any  sort,  while 
otally  exempt  from  any  undue  deference  or  unmanly 
cringing,  he  quietly  submitted  to  let  things  take  their 
course.     His  wife  expressed  her  surprise  that  any  one 
n  New-York  should  presume  to  be  better  than  them 
selves  ;  and  the  remark  gave  rise  to  the  following  short 
conversation,  on  the  very  morning  of  the  day  she  gave 
the  party,  to  which  we  are  now  conducting  the  reader. 
"  How  do  you  know,  my  dear,  that  any  one  does 
think  himself  our  better  V  demanded  the  husband. 
"  Why  do  they  not  all  visit  us  then  !" 
"Why  do   you   not   visit   everybody  yourself?    A 
pretty  household  we  should  have,  if  you  did  nothing 
but  visit  every  one  who  lives  even  in  this  street !" 

"  You  surely  would  not  have  me  visiting  the  gro 
cers5  wives  at  the  corners,  and  all  the  other  rubbish  of 
the  neighbourhood.  What  I  mean  is  that  all  the  peo 
ple  of  a  certain  sort  ought  to  visit  all  the  other  people 
of  a  certain  sort,  in  the  same  town." 

"  You  surely  will  make   an   exception,  at  least  on 


HOME    AS    TOUND. 


account  of  numbers.  I  saw  number  three  thousand 
six  hundred  and  fifty  this  very  day  on  a  cart,  and  if 
the  wives  of  all  these  carmen  should  visit  one  another, 
each  would  have  to  make  ten  visits  daily  in  order  to 
get  through  with  the  list  in  a  twelvemonth." 

"  I  have  always  bad  luck  in  making  you  compre 
hend  these  things,  Mr.  Jarvis." 

"  I  am  afraid,  my  dear,  it  is  because  you  do  not  very 
clearly  comprehend  them  yourself.  You  first  say  that 
everybody  ought  to  visit  everybody,  and  then  you'insist 
on  it,  you  will  visit  none  but  those  you  think  good 
enough  to  be  visited  by  Mrs.  Jared  Jarvis." 

"  What  I  mean  is,  that  no  one  in  New-York  nas  a 
right  to  think  himself,  or  herself,  better  than  ourselves." 

"  Better  ?  —  In  what  sense  better  ?' 

"  In  such  a  sense  as  to  induce  them  to  think  them 
selves  too  good  to  visit  us." 

"  That  may  be  your  opinion,  my  dear,  but  others 
may  judge  differently.  You  clearly  think  yourself  too 
good  to  visit  Mrs.  Onion,  the  grocer's  wife,  who  is  a 
capital  woman  in  her  way  ;  and  how  do  we  know  that 
certain  people  may  not  fancy  we  are  not  quite  refined 
enough  for  them  ?  Refineme'nt  is  a  positive  thing,  Mrs. 
Jarvis,  and  one  that  has  much  more  influence  on  the 
pleasures  of  association  than  money.  We  may  want 
a  hundred  little  perfections  that  escape  our  ignorance, 
and  which  those  who  are  trained  to  such  matters  deem 
essentials." 

"  I  never  met  with  a  man  of  so  little  social  spirit, 
Mr.  Jarvis  !  Really,  you  are  quite  unsuited  to  be  a 
citizen  of  a  republican  country." 

"  Republican  !  —  I  do  not  really  see  what  republican 

has  to  do  with  the  question.     In  the  first  place,  it  is  a 

droll  word  for  you  to  use  in  this  sense  at  least;  for, 

taking  your  own  meaning  of  the  term,  you  are  as  anti- 

republican  as  any  woman  I  know.     But  a  republic  does 

1  no>t   necessarily  infer   equality  of  condition,   or   even 

\  equality  of  rights,  —  it  meaning  merely  the  substitution 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  53 

of  the  right  of  the  commonwealth  for  the  right  of  a 
prince.  Had  you  said  a  democracy  there  would  have 
been  some  plausibility  in  using  the  word,  though  even 
then  its  application  would  have  been  illogical.  If  I  am 
a  freeman  and  a  democrat,  I  hope  I  have  the  justice 
to  allow  others  to  be  just  as  free  and  democratic  as  I 
am  myself." 

)"  And  who  wishes  the  contrary? — all  I  ask  is  a  claim 
to  be  considered  a  fit  associate  for  anybody  in  this 
country — in  these  United  States  of  America." 

"  I  would  quit  these  United  States  of  America  next 
week,  if  I  thought  there  existed  any  necessity  for  such 
an  intolerable  state  of  things." 

"  Mr.  Jarvis  ! — and  you,  too,  one  of  the  Committee 
of  Tammany  Hall !" 

"  Yes,  Mrs.  Jarvis,  and  I  one  of  the  Committee  of 
Tammany  Hall !  What,  do  you  think  I  want  the  three 
thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty  carmen  running  in  and 
out  of  my  house,  with  their  tobacco  saliva  and  pipes, 
all  daylong?' 

"  Who  is  thinking  of  your  carmen  and  grocers ! — I 
speak  now  only  of  genteel  people." 

"  In  other  words,  my  dear,  you  are  thinking  only 
of  those  whom  you  fancy  to  have  the  advantage  of 
you,  and  keep  those  who  think  of  you  in  the  same 
way,  quite  out  of  sight.  This  is  not  my  democracy 
and  freedom.  I  believe  that  it  requires  two  people  to 
make  a  bargain ;  and  although  I  may  consent  to  dine 

with  A ,  if  A will  not  consent  to  dine  with 

me,  there  is  an  end  of  the  matter." 

"Now,  you  have  come  to  a  case  in  point.  You 
often  dined  with  Mr.  Effingham  before  he  went  abroad, 
and  yet  you  would  never  allow  me  to  ask  Mr.  Effing- 
ham  to  dine  with  us.  That  is  what  I  call  meanness." 

"  It  might  be  so,  indeed,  if  it  were  done  to  save  my 

money.     I  dined  with  Mr.  Effingham  because  I  like 

him ;  because  He  was  an  old  neighbour ;  because  he 

asked  me,  and  because  I  found  a  pleasure  in  the  quiet 

5* 


54  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

elegance  of  his  table  and  society;  and  I  did  not  ask 
him  to  dine  with  me,  because  I  was  satisfied  he  would 
be  better  pleased  with  such  a  tacit  acknowledgement 
of  his  superiority  in  this  respect,  than  by  any  bustling 
and  ungraceful  efforts  to  pay  him  in  kind.  Edward 
Effingham  has  dinners  enough,  without  keeping  a 
debtor  and  credit  account  with  his  guests,  which  is 
rather  too  New-Yorkish,  even  for  me." 

"  Bustling  and  ungraceful !"  repeated  Mrs.  Jarvis, 
bitterly;  "I  do  not  know  that  you  are  at  all  more 
bustling  and  ungraceful  than  Mr.  Effingham  himself." 

"  No,  my  dear,  I  am  a  quiet,  unpretending  man,  like 
the  great  majority  of  my  countrymen,  thank  God." 

"  Then  why  talk  of  these  sorts  of  differences  in  a 
country  in  which  the  law  establishes  none  1" 

"  For  precisely  the  reason  that  I  talk  of  the  river 

at  the  foot  of  this  street,  or  because  there  is  a  river. 

A  thing  may  exist  without  there  being  a  law  for  it. 

There  is  no  law  for  building  this  house,  and  yet  it  is 

built.     There  is  no  law  for  making  Dr.  Verse  a  better 

I  preacher  than  Dr.  Prolix,  and  yet  he  is  a  much  better 

I  preacher ;  neither  is  there  any  law  for  making  Mr. 

I  Effingham  a  more  finished  gentleman  than  I  happen  to 

I  be,  and  yet  I  am  not  fool  enough  to  deny  the  fact.    In 

Athe  way  of  making  out  a  bill  of  parcels,  I  will  not 

yirn  my  back  to  him,  I  can  promise  you." 

"  All  this  strikes  me  as  being  very  spiritless,  and  as 
particularly  anti-republican,"  said  Mrs.  Jarvis,  rising 
to  quit  the  room  ;  "  and  if  the  Effinghams  do  not  come 
this  evening,  I  shall  not  enter  their  house  this  winter. 
I  am  sure  they  have  no  right  to  pretend  to  be  our  bet 
ters,  and  I  feel  no  disposition  to  admit  the  impudent 
claim." 

"  Before  you  go,  Jane,  let  me  say  a  parting  word," 
rejoined  the  husband,  looking  for  his  hat,  "  which  is 
just  this.  If  you  wish  the  world  to  believe  you  the 
equal  of  any  one,  no  matter  whom,  do  not  be  always 
talking  about  it,  lest  they  see  you  distrust  the  fact 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


yourself.  A  positive  thing  will  surely  be  seen,  and 
they  who  have  the  highest  claims  are  the  least  disposed 
to  be  always  pressing  them  on  the  attention  of  the 
world.  An  outrage  may  certainly  be  done  those  so 
cial  rights  which  have  been  established  by  common 
consent,  and  then  it  may  be  proper  to  resent  it  ;  but 
beware  betraying  a  consciousness  of  your  own  infe 
riority,  by  letting  every  one  see  you  are  jealous  of 
your  station.  Now,  kiss  me  ;  here  is  the  money  to  pay 
for  your  finery  this  evening,  and  let  me  see  you  as 
happy  to  receive  Mrs.  Jewett  from  Albion  Place,  as 
you  would  be  to  receive  Mrs.  Hawker  herself." 

"  Mrs.  Hawker  !"  cried  the  wife,  with  a  toss  of  her 
head,  "  I  would  not  cross  the  street  to  invite  Mrs. 
Hawker  and  all  her  clan."  Which  was  very  true,  as 
Mrs.  Jarvis  was  thoroughly  convinced  the  trouble 
would  be  unavailing,  the  lady  in  question  being  as  near 
the  head  of  fashion  in  New-York,  as  it  was  possible 
to  be  in  a  town  that,  in  a  moral  sense,  resembles  an 
encampment,  quite  as  much  as  it  resembles  a  perma 
nent  and  a  long-existing  capital. 

Notwithstanding  a  great  deal  of  management  on  the 
part  of  Mrs.  Jarvis  to  get  showy  personages  to  attend 
her  entertainment,  the  simple  elegance  of  the  two  car 
riages  that  bore  the  Effingham  party,  threw  all  the 
other  equipages  into  the  shade.  The  arrival,  indeed, 
was  deemed  a  matter  of  so  much  moment,  that  intel 
ligence  was  conveyed  to  the  lady,  who  was  still  at  her 
post  in  the  inner  drawing-room,  of  the  arrival  of  a 
party  altogether  superior  to  any  thing  that  had  yet 
appeared  in  her  rooms.  It  is  true,  this  was  not  ex 
pressed  in  words,  but  it  was  made  sufficiently  obvious 
by  the  breathless  haste  and  the  air  of  importance  of 
Mrs.  Jarvis'  sister,  who  had  received  the  news  from  a 
servant,  and  who  communicated  it  propria  persona  to 
the  mistress  of  the  house. 

The  simple,  useful,  graceful,  almost  indispensable 
usage  of  announcing  at  the  door,  indispensable  to  those 


56  HOME    A3    FOUND. 

who  receive  much,  and  where  there  is  the  risk  of 
meeting  people  known  to  us  by  name  and  not  in  per 
son,  is  but  little  practised  in  America.  Mrs.  Jarvis 
would  have  shrunk  from  such  an  innovation,  had  she 
known  that  elsewhere  the  custom  prevailed,  but  she 
was  in  happy  ignorance  on  this  point,  as  on  many 
others  that  were  more  essential  to  the  much-coveted 
social  eclat  at  which  she  aimed.  When  Mademoiselle 
Viefville  appeared,  therefore,  walking  unsupported,  as 
if  she  were  out  of  leading-strings,  followed  by  Eve 
and  Grace  and  the  gentlemen  of  their  party,  she  at 
first  supposed  there  was  some  mistake,  and  that  her 
visitors  had  got  into  the  wrong  house ;  there  being  an 
opposition  party  in  the  neighbourhood. 
^"What  brazen  people!"  whispered  Mrs.  Abijah 
Gross,  who  having  removed  from  an  interior  New- 
England  village,  fully  two  years  previously,  fancied 
herself  au  fait  of  all  the  niceties  of  breeding  and  social 
tact.  "  There  are  positively  two  young  ladies  actually 
walking  about  without  gentlemen !" 

But  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  Mrs.  Abijah  Gross, 
with  her  audible  whisper  and  obvious  sneer  and  laugh, 
to  put  down  two  such  lovely  creatures  as  Eve  and  hei 
cousin.  The  simple  elegance  of  their  attire,  the  inde 
scribable  air  of  polish,  particularly  in  the  former,  and 
the  surpassing  beauty  and  modesty  of  mien  of-  both, 
effectually  silenced  criticism,  after  this  solitary  out 
breaking  of  vulgarity.  Mrs.  Jarvis  recognized  Eve 
and  John  Effingham,  and  her  hurried  compliments  and 
obvious  delight  proclaimed  to  all  near  her,  the  import 
ance  she  attached  to  their  visit.  Mademoiselle  Viefville 
she  had  not  recollected  in  her  present  dress,  and  even 
she  was  covered  with  expressions  of  delight  and  satis 
faction. 

"  I  wish  particularly  to  present  to  you  a  friend  that 
we  all  prize  exceedingly,"  said  Eve,  as  soon  as  there 
was  an  opportunity  of  speaking.  "  This  is  Captain 
Truck,  the  gentleman  who  comriands  the  Montauk, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  57 

the  ship  of  which  you  have  heard  so  much.  Ah !  Mr. 
Jarvis,"  offering  a  hand  to  him  with  sincere  cordiality, 
for  Eve  had  known  him  from  childhood,  and  always 
sincerely  respected  him — "  you  will  receive  my  friend 
with  a  cordial  welcome,  I  am  certain." 

She  then  explained  to  Mr.  Jarvis  who  the  honest 
captain  was,  when  the  former,  first  paying  the  proper 
respect  to  his  other  guests,  led  the  old  sailor  aside,  and 
began  an  earnest  conversation  on  the  subject  of  the 
recent  passage. 

John  Effingham  presented  the  baronet,  whom  Mrs. 
Jarvis,  out  of  pure  ignorance  of  his  rank  in  his  own 
country,  received  with  perfect  propriety  and  self- 
respect. 

"  We  have  very  few  people  of  note  in  town  at  pre 
sent,  I  believe,"  said  Mrs.  Jarvis  to  John  Effingham. 
"  A  great  traveller,  a  most  interesting  man,  is  the  only 
person  of  that  sort  I  could  obtain  for  this  evening,  and 
I  shall  have  great  pleasure  in  introducing  you.  He  is 
there  in  that  crowd,  for  he  is  in  the  greatest  possible 
demand ;  he  has  seen  so  much. — Mrs.  Snow,  with  your 
permission — really  the  ladies  are  thronging  about  him 
as  if  he  were  a  Pawnee, — have  the  goodness  to  step  a 
little  this  way,  Mr.  Effingham — Miss  Effingham — Mrs. 
Snow,^just  touch  his  arm  and  let  him  know  I  wish  to 
introduce  a  couple  of  friends. — Mr.  Dodge,  Mr.  John 
Effingham,  Miss  Effingham,  Miss  Van  Cortlandt.  I 
hope  you  may  succeed  in  getting  him  a  little  to  your 
selves,  ladies,  for  he  can  tell  you  all  about  Europe — 
saw  the  king  of  France  riding  out  to  Nully,  and  has  a 
prodigious  knowledge  of  things  on  the  other  side  of  the 
water." 

It  required  a  good  deal  of  Eve's  habitual  self-com 
mand  to  prevent  a  smile,  but  she  had  the  tact  and  dis 
cretion  to  receive  Steadfast  as  an  utter  stranger.  John 
Effingham  bowed  as  haughtily  as  man  can  bow,  and 
then  it  was  whispered  that  hp  and  Mr.  Dodge  were 
rival  travellers.  The  distance  of  the  former,  coupled 


58  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

with  an  expression  of  countenance  that  did  not  invite 
familiarity,  drove  nearly  all  the  company  over  to  the 
side  of  Steadfast,  who,  it  was  soon  settled,  had  seen 
much  the  most  of  the  world,  understood  society  the 
best,  and  had  moreover  travelled  as  far  as  Timbuctoo 
in  Africa.  The  clientele  of  Mr.  Dodge  increased 
rapidly,  as  these  reports  spread  in  the  rooms,  and  those 
who  had  not  read  the  "  delightful  letters  published  in 
the  Active  Inquirer,"  furiously  envied  those  who  had 
enjoyed  that  high  advantage. 

"It  is  Mr.  Dodge,  the  great  traveller,"  said  one 
young  lady,  who  had  extricated  herself  from  the  crowd 
around  the  *  lion,'  and  taken  a  station  near  Eve  and 
Grace,  and  who,  moreover,  was  a  '  blue'  in  her  own 
set;  "his  beautiful  and  accurate  descriptions  have 
attracted  great  attention  in  England,  and  it  is  said  they 
have  actually  been  republished !" 

"  Have  you  read  them,  Miss  Brackett  ?" 

"  Not  the  letters  themselves,  absolutely ;  but  all  the 
remarks  on  them  in  the  last  week's  Hebdomad.  Most 
delightful  letters,  judging  from  those  remarks ;  full  of 
nature  and  point,  and  singularly  accurate  in  all  their 
facts.  In  this  respect  they  are  invaluable,  travellers 
do  fall  into  such  extraordinary  errors !" 

"I  hope,  ma'am,"  said  John  Effingham,  gravely, 
"  that  the  gentleman  has  avoided  the  capital  mistake 
of  commenting  on  things  that  actually  exist.  Com 
ments  on  its  facts  are  generally  esteemed  by  the  people 
of  a  country,  impertinent  and  unjust ;  and  your  true 
way  to  succeed,  is  to  treat  as  freely  as  possible  its 
imaginary  peculiarities." 

Miss  Brackett  had  nothing  to  answer  to  this  obser 
vation,  the  Hebdomad  having,  among  its  other  pro 
fundities,  never  seen  proper  to  touch  on  the  subject. 
She  went  on  praising  the  "  Letters,"  however,  not  one  of 
which  had  she  read,  or  would  she  read ;  for  this  young 
lady  had  contrived  to  gain  a  high  reputation  in  her 
own  coterie  for  taste  and  knowledge  in  books,  by 


HOME    AS    POUND.  59 

merely  skimming  the  strictures  of  those  who  do  not 
even  skim  the  works  they  pretend  to  analyze. 

Eve  had  never  before  been  in  so  close  contact  with 
so  much  flippant  ignorance,  and  she  could  not  but  won 
der  at  seeing  a  man  like  her  kinsman  overlooked,  in 
order  that  a  man  like  Mr.  Dodge  should  be  preferred. 
All  this  gave  John  Effingham  himself  no  concern,  but 
retiring  a  little  from  the  crowd,  he  entered  into  a  short 
conversation  with  the  young  baronet. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  your  real  opinions  of  this 
set,"  he  said ;  "  not  that  I  plead  guilty  to  the  childish 
sensibility  that  is  so  common  in  all  provincial  circles 
to  the  judgments  of  strangers,  but  with  a  view  to  aid 
you  in  forming  a  just  estimate  of  the  real  state  of  the 
country." 

"  As  I  know  the  precise  connexion  between  you  and 
our  host,  there  can  be  no  objection  to  giving  a  per 
fectly  frank  reply.  The  women  strike  me  as  being 
singularly  delicate  and  pretty;  well  dressed,  too,  I 
might  add  ;  but,  while  there  is  a  great  air  of  decency, 
there  is  very  little  high  finish ;  and  what  strikes  me  as 
being  quite  odd,  under  such  circumstances,  scarcely 
any  downright  vulgarity,  or  coarseness." 

"  A  Daniel  come  to  judgment !  One  who  had  passed 
a  life  here,  would  not  have  come  so  near  the  truth, 
simply  because  he  would  not  have  observed  peculiari 
ties,  that  require  the  means  of  comparison  to  be 
detected.  You  are  a  little  too  indulgent  in  saying 
there  is  no  downright  vulgarity ;  for  some  there  is ; 
though  surprisingly  little  for  the  circumstances.  But 
of  the  coarseness  that  would  be  so  prominent  else 
where,  there  is  hardly  any.  True,  so  great  is  the 
equality  in  all  things,  in  this  country,  so  direct  the 
tendency  to  this  respectable  mediocrity,  that  what  you 
now  see  here,  to-night,  may  be  seen  in  almost  every 
village  in  the  land,  with  a  few  immaterial  exceptions 
in  the  way  of  furniture  and  other  city  appliances,  and 
not  much  even  in  thsse." 


00 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


"Certainly,  as  a  mediocrity,  this  is  respectable, 
though  a  fastidious  taste  might  see  a  multitude  of 
faults." 

"  I  shall  not  say  that  the  taste  would  be  merely  fas- 
tidious,  for  much  is  wanting  that  would  add  to  the 
grace  and  beauty  of  society,  while  much  that  is 
wanting  would  be  missed  only  by  the  over-sophisti 
cated.  Those  young  men,  who  are  sniggering  over 
some  bad  joke  in  the  corner,  for  instance,  are  posi 
tively  vulgar,  as  is  that  young  lady  who  is  indulging 
in  practical  coquetry ;  but,  on  the  whole,  there  is  little 
of  this  ;  and,  even  our  hostess,  a  silly  woman,  devoured 
with  the  desire  of  being  what  neither  her  social  posi 
tion,  education,  habits  nor  notions  fit  her  to  be,  is  less 
obtrusive,  bustling,  and  offensive,  than  a  similar  person, 
elsewhere." 

"  I  am  quite  of  your  way  of  thinking,  and  intended 
to  ask  you  to  account  for  it." 

"  The  Americans  are  an  imitative  people  of  neces 
sity,  and  they  are  apt  at  this  part  of  imitation,  in  par 
ticular.  Then  they  are  less  artificial  in  all  their  prac 
tices,  than  older  and  more  sophisticated  nations ;  and 
this  company  has  got  that  essential  part  of  good 
breeding,  simplicity,  as  it  were  per  force.  A  step 
higher  in  the  social  scale,  you  will  see*  less  of  it ;  for 
greater  daring  and  bad  models  lead  to  blunders  in 
matters  that  require  to  be  exceedingly  well  done,  if 
done  at  all.  The  faults  here  would  be  more  apparent, 
by  an  approach  near  enough  to  get  into  the  tone  of 
mind,  the  forms  of  speech,  and  the  attempts  at  wit." 

"  Which  I  think  we  shall  escape  to-night,  as  I  see 
the  ladies  are  already  making  their  apologies  and 
taking  leave.  We  must  defer  this  investigation  to 
another  time." 

"  It  may  be  indefinitely  postponed,  as  it  would 
scarcely  reward  the  trouble  of  an  inquiry." 

The  gentlemen  now  approached  Mrs.  Jarvis,  paid 
their  parting  compliments,  hunted  up  Captain  Truck, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  I) 

whom  they  tore  by  violence  from  the  good-natured 
hospitality  of  the  master  of  the  house,  and  then  saw 
the  ladies'  into  their  carriage.  As  they  drove  off,  the 
worthy  mariner  protested  that  Mr.  Jarvis  was  one  of 
the  honestest  men  he  had  ever  met,  and  announced 
that  he  intended  giving  him  a  dinner  on  board  the 
Montauk,  the  very  next.  day. 

The  dwelling  of  Mrs.  Hawker  was  in  Hudson 
Square ;  or  in  a  portion  of  the  city  that  the  lovers  of 
the  grandiose  are  endeavouring  to  call  St.  John's 
Park ;  for  it  is  rather  an  amusing  peculiarity  among  a 
certain  portion  of  the  emigrants  who  have  flocked  into 
the  Middle  States,  within  the  last  thirty  years,  that 
they  are  not  satisfied  with  permitting  any  family,  or 
thing,  to  possess  the  name  it  originally  enjoyed,  if  there 
exists  the  least  opportunity  to  change  it.  There  was 
but  a  carriage  or  two  before  the  door,  though  the 
strong  lights'in  the  house  showed  that  company  had 
collected. 

"  Mrs.  Hawker  is  the  widow  and  the  daughter  of 
men  of  long  established  New-York  families;  she  is 
childless,  affluent,  and  universally  respected  where 
known,  for  her  breeding,  benevolence,  good  sense, 
md  heart,''  said  John  Etfingham,  while  the  party  was 
[driving  from  one  house  to  the  other.  "  Were  you  to 
ro  into  most  of  the  sets  of  this  town,  and  mention 

[rs.  Hawker's  name,  not  one  person  in  ten  would 
know  there  is  such  a  being  in  their  vicinity ;  the  pele 
mele  of  a  migratory  population  keeping  persons  of  her 
character  and  condition  in  life,  quite  out  of  view. 
The  very  persons  who  will  prattle  by  the  hour,  of  the 
establishments  of  Mrs.  Peleg  Pond,  and  Mrs.  Jonah 
Twist,  and  Mrs.  Abiram  Wattles,  people  who  first 
appeared  on  this  island  five  or  six  years  since,  and, 
who  having  accumulated  what  to  them  are  relatively 
large  fortunes,  have  launched  out  into  vulgar  and 
uninstructed  finery,  would  look  with  surprise  at  hear- 
in  Mrs.  Hawker  mentioned  as  one  having  any  claims 
6 


62  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

to  social  distinction.  Her  historical  names  are  over 
shadowed  in  their  minds  by  the  parochial  glories  of 
certain  local  prodigies  in  the  townships  whence  they 
emigrated ;  her  manners  would  puzzle  the  comprehen 
sion  of  people  whose  imitation  has  not  gone  beyond 
the  surface,  and  her  polished  and  simple  mind  would 
find  little  sympathy  among  a  class  who  seldom  rise 
above  a  common-place  sentiment  without  getting  upon 
stilts." 

"  Mrs.  Hawker,  then,  is  a  lady,"  observed  Sir  George 
Templemore. 

"  Mrs.  Hawker  is  a  lady,  in  every  sense  of  the  word ; 
by  position,  education,  manners,  association,  mind,  for 
tune  and  birth.  I  do  not  know  that  we  ever  had  more 
of  her  class  than  exist  to-day,  but  certainly  we  once 
had  them  more  prominent  in  society." 

"  I  suppose,  sir,"  said  Captain  Truck,  "  that  this  Mrs, 
Hawker  is  of  what  is  called  the  old  school?" 

"  Of  a  very  ancient  school,  and  one  that  is  likely  U 
continue,  though  it  may  not  be  generally  attended." 

"  I  am  afraid,  Mr.  John  Effingham,  that  I  shall  be 
like  a  fish  out  of  water  in  such  a  house.  I  can  get 
along  very  well  with  your  Mrs.  Jarvis,  and  with  the 
dear  young  lady  in  the  other  carriage ;  but  the  sort  of 
woman  you  have  described,  will  be  apt  to  jam  a  plain 
mariner  like  myself.  What  in  nature  should  I  do,  now, 
if  she  should  ask  me  to  dance  a  minuet  ?" 

"  Dance  it  agreeably  to  the  laws  of  nature,"  returned 
John  Effingham,  as  the  carriages  stopped. 

A  respectable,  quiet,  and  an  aged  black  admitted  the 
party,  though  even  he  did  not  announce  the  visiters, 
while  he  held  the  door  of  the  drawing-room  open  for 
them,  with  respectful  attention.  Mrs.  Hawker  arose, 
and  advanced  to  meet  Eve  and  her  companions,  and 
though  she  kissed  the  cousins  affectionately,  her  recep 
tion  of  Mademoiselle  Viefville  was  so  simply  polite  as 
to  convince  the  latter  she  was  valued  on  account  of 
her  services.  John  Effingham,  who  was  ten  or  fifteen 


HOME   AS   FOUND.  63 

years  the  junior  of  the  old  lady,  gallantly  kissed  her 
hand,  when  he  presented  his  two  male  companions. 
After  paying  the  proper  attention  to  the  greatest  stran 
ger,  Mrs.  Hawker  turned  to  Captain  Truck  and  said — 

"This,  then,  is  the  gentleman  to  whose  skill  and 
courage  you  all  owe  so  much — we  all  owe  so  much,  I 
might  better  have  said — the  commander  of  the  Mon- 
tauk?" 

"I  have  the  honour  of  commanding  that  vessel, 
ma'am,"  returned  Captain  Truck,  who  was  singularly 
awed  by  the  dignified  simplicity  of  his  hostess,  although 
her  quiet,  natural,  and  yet  finished  manner,  which  ex 
tended  even  to  the  intonation  of  the  voice,  and  the 
smallest  movement,  were  as  unlike  what  he  had  ex 
pected  as  possible ;  "  and  with  such  passengers  as  she 
had  last  voyage  I  can  only  say,  it  is  a  pity  that  she  is 
not  better  off  for  one  to  take  care  of  her." 

"  Your  passengers  give  a  different  account  of  the 
matter,  but,  in  order  that  I  may  judge  impartially,  do 
me  the  favour  to  take  this  chair,  and  let  me  learn  a  few 
of  the  particulars  from  yourself." 

Observing  that  Sir  George  Templemore  had  followed 
Eve  to  the  other  side  of  the  room,  Mrs.  Hawker  now 
resumed  her  seat,  and,  without  neglecting  any  to  at 
tend  to  one  in  particular,  or  attending  to  one  in  a  way 
to  make  him  feel  oppressed,  she  contrived,  in  a  few 
minutes,  to  make  the  captain  forget  all  about  the  minuet, 
and  to  feel  much  more  at  his  ease  than  would  have 
been  the  case  with  Mrs.  Jarvis,  in  a  month's  inter 
course. 

In  the  mean  time,  Eve  had  crossed  the  room  to  join 
a  lady  whose  smile  invited  her  to  her  side.  This  was 
a  young,  slightly  framed  female,  of  a  pleasing  counte 
nance,  but  who  would  not  have  been  particularly  dis 
tinguished,  in  such  a  place,  for  personal  charms.  Still, 
her  smile  was  sweet,  her  eyes  were  soft,  and  the  ex 
pression  of  her  face  was  what  might  almost  be  called 
illuminated.  As  Sir  George  Templemore  followed  her, 


64 


HOME    AS   FOUND. 


Eve  mentioned  his  name  to  her  acquaintance,  \vhom 
she  addressed  as  Mrs.  Bloom  field. 

"You  are  bent  on  perpetrating  further  gaiety  to 
night,"  said  the  latter,  glancing  at  the  ball-dresses  of 
the  two  cousins ;  "  are  you  in  the  colours  of  the  Hous 
ton  faction,  or  in  those  of  the  Peabody." 

"Not  in  pea-green,  certainly,"  returned  Eve,  laugh 
ing—"  as  you  may  see ;  but  in  simple  white." 

"You  intend  then  to  be  'led  a  measure'  at  Mrs. 
Houston's.  It  were  more  suitable  than  among  the 
other  faction." 

"  Is  fashion,  then,  faction,  in  New- York  ?"  inquired 
Sir  George. 

"  Fractions  would  be  a  better  word,  perhaps.  But 
we  have  parties  in  almost  every  thing,  in  America ;  in 
politics,  religion,  temperance,  speculations,  and  taste ; 
why  not  in  fashion?" 

"  I  fear  we  are  not  quite  independent  enough  to  form 
parties  on  such  a  subject,"  said  Eve. 

"  Perfectly  well   said,  Miss  Effingham ;    one  must 
think  a  little  originally,  let  it  be  ever  so  falsely,  in  order 
to  get  up  a  fashion.    I  fear  we  shall  have  to  admit  our 
insignificance  on  this  point.     You  are  a  late  arrival 
Sir  George  Templemore  ?" 

'  As  lately  as  the  commencement  of  this  month ;  I 
had  the  honour  of  being  a  fellow-passenger  with  Mr. 
Effingham  and  his  family." 

"  In  which  voyage  you  suffered  shipwreck,  captivity, 
and  famine,  if  half  we  hear  be  true." 

«*  Report  has  a  little  magnified  our  risks ;  we  en 
countered  some  serious  dangers,  but  nothing  amount 
ing  to  the  sufferings  you  have  mentioned." 

"  Being  a  married  woman,  and  having  passed  the 
crisis  in  which  deception  is  not  practised,  I  expect  to 
hear  truth  again,"  said  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  smiling.  « I 
trust,  however,  you  underwent  enough  to  qualify  you 
all  for  heroes  and  heroines,  and  shall  content  myself 
with  knowing  that  you  are  here,  safe  and  happv— if," 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  65 

she  added,  looking  inquiringly  at  Eve,  "  one  who  has 
been  educated  abroad  can  be  happy  at  home." 

"One  educated  abroad  may  be  happy  at  home, 
though  possibly  not  in  the  modes  most  practised  by  the 
world,"  said  Eve,  firmly. 

"  Without  an  opera,  without  a  court,  almost  without 
society !" 

"  An  opera  would  be  desirable,  I  confess ;  of  courts 
I  know  nothing,  unmarried  females  being  cyphers  in 
Europe ;  and  I  hope  better  things  than  to  think  I  shall 
be  without  society." 

"  Unmarried  females  are  considered  cyphers  too, 
here,  provided  there  be  enough  of  them  with  a  good 
respectable  digit  at  their  head.  I  assure  you  no  one 
quarrels  with  the  cyphers  under  such  circumstances. 
I  think,  Sir  George  Templemore,  a  town  like  this  must 
be  something  of  a  paradox  to  you." 

"  Might  I  venture  to  inquire  the  reason  for  this 
opinion !" 

"Merely  because  it  is  neither  one  thing  nor  ano 
ther.  Not  a  capital,  nor  yet  merely  a  provincial  place ; 
with  something  more  than  commerce  in  its  bosom,  and 
yet  with  that  something  hidden  under  a  bushel.  A 
good  deal  more  than  Liverpool,  and  a  good  deal  less 
than  London.  Better  even  than  Edinburgh,  in  many 
respects,  and  worse  than  Wapping,  in  others." 

"  You  have  been  abroad,  Mrs.  Bloomfield  1" 

"  Not  a  foot  out  of  my  own  country ;  scarcely  a  foot 
out  of  my  own  state.  I  have  been  at  Lake  George, 
the  Falls,  and  the  Mountain  House;  and,  as  one  does 
not  travel  in  a  balloon,  I  saw  some  of  the  intermediate 
places.  As  for  all  else,  I  am  obliged  to  go  by  report." 

"  It  is  a  pity  Mrs.  Bloomfield  was  not  with  us,  this 
evening,  at  Mrs.  Jarvis's,"  said  Eve,  laughing.  "She 
might  then  have  increased  her  knowledge,  by  listening 
to  a  few  cantos  from  the  epic  of  Mr.  Dodge." 

"  I  have  glanced  at  some  of  that  author's  wisdom," 
returned  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  "  but  I  soon  found  it  was 
6* 


66  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

learning  backwards.  There  is  a  never-failing  rule,  by 
which  it  is  easy  to  arrive  at  a  traveller's  worth,  in  a 
negative  sense,  at  least." 

"  That  is  a  rule  which  may  be  worth  knowing," 
said  the  baronet,  "  as  it  would  save  much  useless  wear 
of  the  eyes." 

"When  one  betrays  a  profound  ignorance  of  his 
own  country,  it  is  a  fair  presumption  that  he  cannot  be 
very  acute  in  his  observation  of  strangers.  Mr.  Dodge 
is  one  of  these  writers,  and  a  single  letter  fully  satis 
fied  my  curiosity.  I  fear,  Miss  Effingham,  very  infe 
rior  wares,  in  the  way  of  manners,  have  been  lately 
imported,  in  large  quantities,  into  this  country,  as 
having  the  Tower  mark  on  them." 

Eve  laughed,  but  declared  that  Sir  George  Tem- 
plemore  was  better  qualified  than  herself  to  answer 
such  a  question. 

'*  We  are  said  to  be  a  people  of  facts,  rather  than 
a  people  of  theories,"  continued  Mrs.  Bloomfield, 
without  attending  to  the  reference  of  the  young  lady, 
"  and  any  coin  that  offers  passes,  until  another  that  is 
better,  arrives.  It  is  a  singular,  but  a  very  general 
mistake,  I  believe,  of  the  people  of  this  country,  in 
supposing  that  they  can  exist  under  the  present  regime, 
when  others  would  fail,  because  their  opinions  keep 
even  pace  with,  or  precede  the  actual  condition  of  so 
ciety;  whereas,  those  who  have  thought  and  observed 
most  on  such  subjects,  agree  in  thinking  the  very  re 
verse  to  be  the  case." 

"  This  would  be  a  curious  condition  for  a  govern 
ment  so  purely  conventional,"  observed  Sir  George, 
with  interest,  "  and  it  certainly  is  entirely  opposed  to 
the  state  of  things  all  over  Europe." 

"  It  is  so,  and  yet  there  is  no  great  mystery  in  it, 
after  all.  Accident  has  liberated  us  from  trammels 
that  still  fetter  you.  We  are  like  a  vehicle  on  the  top 
of  a  hill,  which,  the  moment  it  is  pushed  beyond  the 
point  of  resistance,  rolls  down  of  itself,  without  the  aid 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  67 

of  horses.  One  may  follow  with  the  team,  and  hook 
on  when  it  gets  to  the  bottom,  but  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  keeping  company  with  it  until  it  arrives 
theie." 

"  You  will  allow,  then,  that  there  is  a  bottom  ?" 

"  There  is  a  bottom  to  every  thing — to  good  and 
bad;  happiness  and  misery;  hope,  fear,  faith  and 
charity ;  even  to  a  woman's  mind,  which  I  have  some 
times  fancied  the  most  bottomless  thing  in  nature. 
There  may,  therefore,  well  be  a  bottom  even  to  the 
institutions  of  America." 

Sir  George  listened  with  the  interest  with  which  an 
Englishman  of  his  class  always  endeavours  to  catch  a 
concession  that  he  fancies  is  about  to  favour  his  own 
political  predilections,  and  he  felt  encouraged  to  push 
the  subject  further. 

"  And  you  think  the  political  machine  is  rolling 
downwards  towards  this  bottom  ?"  he  said,  with  an  in 
terest  in  the  answer  that,  living  in  the  quiet  and  forget- 
fulness  of  his  own  home,  he  would  have  laughed  at 
himself  for  entertaining.  But  our  sensibilities  become 
quickened  by  collision,  and  opposition  is  known  even 
to  create  love. 

Mrs.  Bloomfield  was  quick-witted,  intelligent,  culti 
vated  and  shrewd.  She  saw  the  motive  at  a  glance, 
and,  notwithstanding  she  saw  and  felt  all  its  abuses, 
strongly  attached  to  the  governing  principle  of  her 
country's  social  organization,  as  is  almost  universally 
the  case  with  the  strongest  minds  and  most  generous 
hearts  of  the  nation,  she  was  not  disposed  to  let  a 
stranger  carry  away  a  false  impression  of  her  senti 
ments  on  such  a  point. 

"  Did  you  ever  study  logic,  Sir  George  Temple- 
more?"  she  asked,  archly. 

"  A  little,  though  not  enough  I  fear  to  influence  my 
mode  of  reasoning,  or  even  to  leave  me  familiar  with 
the  terms." 

"  Oh !  I  am  not  about  to  assail  you  with  sequiturs 


68  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

and  non  sequiturs,  dialectics  and  all  the  mysteries  of 
Denk-Lehre,  but  simply  to  remind  you  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  the  bottom  of  a  subject  When  I  tell  you  we 
are  flying  towards  the  bottom  of  our  institutions,  it  is 
in  the  intellectual  sense,  and  not,  as  you  have  errone 
ously  imagined,  in  an  unintellectual  sense.  I  mean 
that  we  are  getting  to  understand  them,  which,  I  fear, 
we  did  not  absolutely  do  at  the  commencement  of  the 
'experiment.'" 

"  But  I  think  you  will  admit,  that  as  the  civilization 
of  the  country  advances,  some  material  changes  must 
occur ;  your  people  cannot  always  remain  stationary  ; 
they  must  either  go  backwards  or  forward." 

"  Up  or  down,  if  you  will  allow  me  to  correct  your 
phraseology.  The  civilization  of  the  country,  in  one 
sense  at  least,  is  retrogressive,  and  the  people,  as  they 
cannot  go  *  up,'  betray  a  disposition  to  go  *  down.' " 

"  You  deal  in  enigmas,  and  I  am  afraid  to  think  I 
understand  you." 

"  I  mean,  merely,  that  gallowses  are  fast  disappear 
ing,  and  that  the  people — le  peuple  you  will  understand 
• — begin  to  accept  money.  In  both  particulars,  I  think 
there  is  a  sensible  change  for  the  worse,  within  my 
own  recollection." 

Mrs.  Bloomfield  then  changed  her  manner,  and  from 
using  that  light-hearted  gaiety  with  which  she  often 
rendered  her  conversation  piquante,  and  even  occa 
sionally  brilliant,  she  became  more  grave  and  explicit. 
The  subject  soon  turned  to  that  of  punishments,  and 
few  men  could  have  reasoned  more  sensibly,  justly  01 
forcibly,  on  such  a  subject,  than  this  slight  and  fragile- 
looking  young  woman.  Without  the  least  pedantry, 
with  a  beauty  of  language  that  the  other  sex  seldom 
attains,  and  with  a  delicacy  of  discrimination,  and  a 
sentiment  that  were  strictly  feminine,  she  rendered  a 
theme  interesting,  that,  however  important  in  itself,  is 
forbidding,  veiling  all  its  odious  and  revolting  features 
in  the  refinement  o,nd  finesse  of  her  own  polished 
mind. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  69 

Eve  could  have  listened  all  night,  and,  at  every  syl 
lable  that  fell  from  the  lips  of  her  friend,  she  felt  a  glow 
of  triumph;  for  she  was  proud  of  letting  an  intelligent 
foreigner  see  that  America  did  contain  women  worthy 
to  be  ranked  with  the  best  of  other  countries,  a  cir 
cumstance  that  they  who  merely  frequented  what  is 
called  the  world,  she  thought  might  be  reasonably  jus 
tified  in  distrusting.  In  one  respect,  she  even  fancied 
Mrs.  Bloomfield's  knowledge  and  'cleverness  superior 
to  those  which  she  had  so  often  admired  in  her  own 
sex  abroad.  It  was  untrammelled,  equally  by  the  pre 
judices  incident  to  a  factitious  condition  of  society,  or 
by  their  reaction ;  two  circumstances  that  often  ob 
scured  the  sense  and  candour  of  those  to  whom  she  had 
so  often  listened  with  pleasure  in  other  countries.  The 
singularly  feminine  tone,  too,  of  all  that  Mrs.  Bloom- 
field  said  or  thought,  while  it  lacked  nothing  in  strength, 
added  to  the  charm  of  her  conversation,  and  increased 
the  pleasure  of  those  that  listened. 

"  Is  the  circle  large  to  \vhich  Mrs.  Hawker  and  her 
friends  belong?"  asked  Sir  George,  as  he  assisted  Eve 
and  Grace  to  cloak,  w?hen  they  had  taken  leave.  "  A 
town  which  can  boast  of  half-a-dozen  such  houses  need 
not  accuse  itself  of  wanting  society." 

"  Ah !  there  is  but  one  Mrs.  Hawker  in  New-York," 
answered  Grace,  "  and  not  many  Mrs.  Bloomfields  in 
the  world.  It  would  be  too  much  to  say,  we  have 
even  half-a-dozen  such  houses." 

"  Have  you  not  been  struck  with  the  admirable  tone 
of  this  drawing-room,"  half  whispered  Eve.  "  It  may 
want  a  littte  of  that  lofty  ease  that  one  sees  among  the 
better  portion  of  the  old  Princesses  et  Duchesses,  which 
is  a  relic  of  a  school  that,  it  is  to  be  feared,  is  going 
out ;  but  in  its  place  there  is  a  winning  nature,  with  as 
much  dignity  as  is  necessary,  and  a  truth  that  gives 
us  confidence  in  the  sincerity  of  those  around  us." 

"  Upon  my  word,  I  think  Mrs.  Hawker  quite  fit  for 
a  Duchess." 


70  HOME   AS   TOUND. 

"  You  mean  a  Duchesse"  said  Eve,  "  and  yet  she  is 
without  the  manner  that  we  understand  by  such  a 
word.  Mrs.  Hawker  is  a  lady,  and  there  can  be  no 
higher  term." 

"She  is  a  delightful  old  woman,"  cried  John  Effing- 
ham,  "  and  if  twenty  years  younger  and  disposed  to 
change  her  condition,  I  should  really  be  afraid  to  enter 
the  house." 

"  My  dear  sir,"  put  in  the  captain,  "  I  will  make  her 
Mrs.  Truck  to-morrow,  and  say  nothing  of  years,  if 
she  could  be  content  to  take  up  with  such  an  offer. 
Why,  sir,  she  is  no  woman,  but  a  saint  in  petticoats ! 
I  felt  the  whole  time  as  if  talking  to  my  own  mother, 
and  as  for  ships,  she  knows  more  about  them  than  I 
do!" 

The  whole  party  laughed  at  the  strength  of  the  cap 
tain's  admiration,  and  getting  into  the  carriages  pro 
ceeded  to  the  last  of  the  houses  they  intended  visiting 
that  night. 


CHAPTER  V. 


1  So  turns  she  every  man  the  wrong  side  out; 
And  never  gives  to  truth  and  virtue,  that 
Which  simpleness  and  merit  purchaseth." 

MUCH   ADO   ABOUT   NOTHING. 


MRS.  HOUSTON  was  what  is  termed  a  fashionable 
woman  in  New-York.  She,  too,  was  of  a  family  of 
local  note,  though  of  one  much  less  elevated  in*  the 
olden  time  than  that  of  Mrs.  Hawker.  Still  her  claims 
were  admitted  by  the  most  fastidious  on  such  points, 
for  a  few  do  remain  who  think  descent  indisputable  to 
gentility ;  and  as  her  means  were  ample,  and  her  tastes 
perhaps  superior  to  those  of  most  around  her,  she  kept 
what  was  thought  a  house  of  better  tone  than  com- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  71 

mon,  even  in  the  highest  circle.  Eve  had  but  a  slight 
acquaintance  with  her ;  but  in  Grace's  eyes,  Mrs.  Hous 
ton's  was  the  place  of  all  others  that  she  thought  might 
make  a  favourable  impression  on  her  cousin.  Her 
wish  that  this  should  prove  to  be  the  case  was  so 
strong,  that,  as  they  drove  towards  the  door,  she  could 
not  forbear  from  making  an  attempt  to  prepare  Eve 
for  what  she  was  to  meet. 

"  Although  Mrs.  Houston  has  a  very  large  house  for 
New-York,  and  lives  in  a  uniform  style,  you  are  not 
to  expect  ante-chambers,  and  vast  suites  of  rooms, 
Eve,"  said  Grace ;  "  such  as  you  have  been  accus 
tomed  to  see  abroad." 

"  It  is  not  necessary,  my  dear  cousin,  to  enter  a 
house  of  four  or  five  windows  in  front,  to  see  it  is  not 
a  house  of  twenty  or  thirty.  I  should  be  very  unrea 
sonable  to  expect  an  Italian  palazzo,  or  a  Parisian 
hotel,  in  this  good  town." 

"  We  are  not  old  enough  for  that  yet,  Eve;  a  hun 
dred  years  hence,  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  such  things 
may  exist  here." 

"  Bicn  sur.     C'est  nature!." 

"  A  hundred  years  hence,  as  the  world  tends,  Grace, 
they  are  not  likely  to  exist  any  where,  except  as 
taverns,  or  hospitals,  or  manufactories.  But  what 
have  we  to  do,  coz,  with  a  century  ahead  of  us  ?  young 
as  we  both  are,  we  cannot  hope  to  live  that  time." 

Grace  would  have  been  puzzled  to  account  satisfac 
torily  to  herself,  for  the  strong  desire  she  felt  that  nei 
ther  of  her  companions  should  expect  to  see  such  a 
house  as  their  senses  so  plainly  told  them  did  not 
exist  in  the  place ;  but  her  foot  moved  in  the  bottom 
of  the  carriage,  for  she  was  not  half  satisfied  with  her 
cousin's  answer. 

"All  I  mean,  Eve,"  she  said,  after  a  pause,  "is,  that 
one  ought  not  to  expect  in  a  town  as  new  as  this,  the 
improvements  that  one  sees  in  an  older  state  of 
society." 


72  HOME    AS    FOU1VD. 

"  And  have  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  or  I,  ever  been 
so  weak  as  to  suppose  that  New-York  is  Paris,  or 
Rome,  or  Vienna  ?' 

Grace  was  still  l^ss  satisfied,  for,  unknown  to  her 
self,  she  had  hoped  tnat  Mrs.  Houston's  ball  might  be 
quite  equal  to  a  ball  in  either  of  those  ancient  capitals ; 
and  she  was  now  vexed  that  her  cousin  considered 
it  so  much  a  matter  of  course  that  it  should  not  be. 
But  there  was  no  time  for  explanations,  as  the  carriage 
now  stopped. 

The  noise,  confusion,  calling  out,  swearing,  and  rude 
clamour  before  the  house  of  Mrs.  Houston,  said  little  for 
the  out-door  part  of  the  arrangements.  Coachmen  are 
nowhere  a  particularly  silent  and  civil  class;  but  the 
uncouth  European  peasants,  who  have  been  preferred 
to  the  honours  of  the  whip  in  New-York,  to  the  usual 
feelings  of  competition  and  contention,  added  that  par 
ticular  feature  of  humility  which  is  known  to  distin 
guish  *'  the  beggar  on  horseback."  The  imposing 
equipages  of  our  party,  however,  had  that  effect  on 
most  of  these  rude  brawlers,  which  a  display  of  wealth 
is  known  to  produce  on  the  vulgar-minded ;  and  the 
ladies  got  into  the  house,  through  a  lane  of  coachmen, 
by  yielding  a  little  to  a  chevau  defrise  of  whips,  with 
out  any  serious  calamity. 

"  One  hardly  knows  which  is  the  most  terrific,"  said 
Eve,  involuntarily,  as  soon  as  the  door  closed  on  them 
—  "the  noise  within,  or  the  noise  without!" 

This  was  spoken  rapidly,  and  in  French,  to  Made 
moiselle  Viefville,  but  Grace  heard  and  understood  it, 
and  for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  she  perceived  that 
Mrs.  Houston's  company  was  not  composed  of  night 
ingales.  The  surprise  is  that  the  discovery  should 
have  come  so  late. 

"  I  am  delighted  at  having  got  into  this  house,"  said 
Sir  George,  who,  having  thrown  his  cloak  to  his  own 
servant,  stood  with  the  two  other  gentlemen  waiting 
the  descent  of  the  ladies  from  the  upper  room,  where 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  73 

the  bad  arrangements  of  the  house  compelled  them  to 
uncloak  and  to  put  aside  their  shawls,  "  as  I  am  told  it 
is  the  best  house  in  town  to  see  the  other  sex." 

**  To  hear  them,  would  be  nearer  the  truth,  perhaps," 
returned  John  Effingham.  "  As  for  pretty  women,  one 
can  hardly  go  amiss  in  New- York;  and  your  ears 
now  tell  you,  that  they  do  not  come  into  the  world  to 
be  seen  only." 

The  baronet  smiled,  but  he  was  too  well  bred  to 
contradict  or  to  assent.  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  un 
conscious  that  she  was  violating  the  proprieties,  walked 
into  the  rooms  by  herself,  as  soon  as  she  descended, 
followed  by  Eve ;  but  Grace  shrank  to  the  side  of 
John  Effingham,  whose  arm  she  took  as  a  step  neces 
sary  even  to  decorum. 

Mrs.  Houston  received  her  guests  with  ease  and 
dignity.  She  was  one  of  those  females  that  the  Ame 
rican  world  calls  gay ;  in  other  words,  she  opened  her 
own  house  to  a  very  promiscuous  society,  ten  or  a 
dozen  times  in  a  winter,  and  accepted  the  greater  part 
of  the  invitations  she  got  to  other  people's.  Still,  in 
most  other  countries,  as  a  fashionable  woman,  she 
would  have  been  esteemed  a  model  of  devotion  to  the 
duties  of  a  wife  and  a  mother,  for  she  paid  a  personal 
attention  to  her  household,  and  had  actually  taught  all 
her  children  the  Lord's  prayer,  the  creed,  and  the  ten 
commandments.  She  attended  church  twice  every 
Sunday,  and  only  staid  at  home  from  the  evening  lec 
tures,  that  the  domestics  might  have  the  opportunity 
of  going  (which,  by  the  way,  they  never  did)  in  her 
stead.  Feminine,  well-mannered,  rich,  pretty,  of  a 
very  positive  social  condition,  and  naturally  kind-heart 
ed  and  disposed  to  sociability,  Mrs.  Houston,  supported 
by  an  indulgent  husband,  who  so  much  loved  to  see 
people  with  the  appearance  of  happiness,  that  he  was 
not  particular  as  to  the  means,  had  found  no  difficulty 
in  rising  to  the  pinnacle  of  fashion,  and  of  having  her 
name  in  the  mouths  of  all  those  who  find  it  necessary 


74  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

to  talk  of  somebodies,  in  order  that  they  may  seem  to 
be  somebodies  themselves.  All  this  contributed  to 
Mrs.  Houston's  happiness,  or  she  fancied  it  did ;  and 
as  every  passion  is  known  to  increase  by  indulgence, 
she  had  insensibly  gone  on  in  her  much-envied  career, 
until,  as  has  just  been  said,  she  reached  the  summit. 

"  These  rooms  are  very  crowded,"  said  Sir  George, 
glancing  his  eyes  around  two  very  pretty  little  narrow 
drawing-rooms,  that  were  beautifully,  not  to  say  richly, 
furnished;  "one  wonders  that  the  same  contracted 
style  of  building  should  be  so  very  general,  in  a  town 
that  increases  as  rapidly  as  this,  and  where  fashion  has 
no  fixed  abode,  and  land  is  so  abundant." 

"  Mrs.  Blotimfidd  would  tell  you,"  said  Eve,  "  that 
these  houses  are  types  of  the  social  state  of  the  coun 
try,  in  which  no  one  is  permitted  to  occupy  more  than 
his  share  of  ground." 

"But  there  are  reasonably  large  dwellings  in  the 
place.  Mrs.  Hawker  has  a  good  house,  and  your  fa 
ther's  for  instance,  would  be  thought  so,  too,  in  London 
even  ;  and  yet  I  fancy  you  will  agree  with  me  in  think 
ing  that  a  good  room  is  almost  unknown  in  New-York." 

"  I  do  agree  with  you,  in  this  particular,  certainly, 
for  to  meet  with  a  good  room,  one  must  go  into  the 
houses  built  thirty  years  ago.  We  have  inherited  these 
snuggeries,  however,  England  not  having  much  to 
boast  of  in  the  way  of  houses." 

"  In  the  way  of  town  residences,  I  agree  with  you 
entirely,  as  a  whole,  though  we  have  some  capital  ex 
ceptions.  Still,  I  do  not  think  we  are  quite  as  compact 
as  this — do  you  not  fancy  the  noise  increased  in  con 
sequence  of  its  being  so  confined  ?" 

Eve  laughed  and  shook  her  head  quite  positively. 

"  What  would  it  be  if  fairly  let  out !"  she  said.  "  But 
we  will  not  waste  the  precious  moments,  but  turn  our 
eyes  about  us  in  quest  of  the  belles.  Grace,  you  who 
are  so  much  at  home,  must  be  our  cicerone,  and  tell 
us  which  are  the  idols  we  are  to  worship." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  75 

"  Dites  moi  premierement ;  que  veut  dire  une  belle  & 
New-York?"  demanded  Mademoiselle  Viefville.  Jlp- 
paremment,  tout  le  monde  estjoli" 

"  A  belle,  Mademoiselle,"  returned  John  Effingham, 
"  is  not  necessarily  beautiful,  the  qualifications  for  the 
character,  being  various  and  a  little  contradictory. 
One  may  be  a  belle  by  means  of  money,  a  tongue,  an 
eye,  a  foot,  teeth,  a  laugh,  or  any  other  separate  feature, 
or  grace ;  though  no  woman  was  ever  yet  a  belle,  I 
believe,  by  means  of  the  head,  considered  collectively. 
But  why  deal  in  description,  when  the  thing  itself  con 
fronts  us  ?  The  young  lady  standing  directly  before  us, 
is  a  belle  of  the  most  approved  stamp  and  silvery  tone. 
Is  it  not  Miss  Ring,  Grace  ?" 

The  answer  was  in  the  affirmative,  and  the  eyes  of 
the  whole  party  turned  towards  the  subject  of  this 
remark.  The  young  lady  in  question  was  about 
twenty,  rather  tall  for  an  American  woman,  not  con 
spicuously  handsome,  but  like  most  around  her  of 
delicate  features  and  frame,  and  with  such  a  physique, 
as,  under  proper  training,  would  have  rendered  her  the 
beau  ideal  of  feminine  delicacy  and  gentleness.  She 
had  natural  spirit,  likewise,  as  appeared  in  her  clear 
blue  eye,  and  moreover  she  had  the  spirit  to  be  a  belle. 

Around  this  young  creature  were  clustered  no  less 
than  five  young  men,  dressed  in  the  height  of  the 
fashion,  all  of  whom  seemed  to  be  entranced  with  the 
words  that  fell  from  her  lips,  and  each  of  whom  appeared 
anxious  to  say  something  clever  in  return.  They  all 
laughed,  the  lady  most,  and  sometimes  all  spoke  at 
once.  Notwithstanding  these  outbreakings,  Miss  Ring 
did  most  of  the  talking,  and  once  or  twice,  as  a  young 
man  would  gape  after  a  most  exhilarating  show  of 
merriment,  and  discover  an  inclination  to  retreat,  she 
managed  to  recall  him  to  his  allegiance,  by  some 
remark  particularly  pertinent  to  himself,  or  his  feelings. 

"  Qui  est  cettedame?"  asked  Mademoiselle  Viefviile, 
very  much  as  one  would  put  a  similar  question,  on 


76  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

seeing  a  man  enter  a  church  during  service  with  his 
hat  on. 

"  Elle  est  demoiselle,"  returned  Eve. 

"  Quelle  horreur!" 

"  Nay,  nay,  Mademoiselle,  I  shall  not  allow  you  to 
set  up  France  as  immaculate  on  this  point,  neither — " 
said  John  Effingham,  looking  at  the  last  speaker  with 
an  affected  frown — "A  young  lady  may  have  a  tongue, 
and  she  may  even  speak  to  a  young  gentleman,  and 
not  be  guilty  of  felony ;  although  I  will  admit  that  five 
tongues  are  unnecessary,  and  that  five  listeners  are 
more  than  sufficient,  for  the  wisdom  of  twenty  in  pet 
ticoats." 

"  C'est  une  horreur  /" 

"  I  dare  say  Miss  Ring  would  think  it  a  greater 
horror  to  be  obliged  to  pass  an  evening  in  a  row  of 
girls,  unspoken  to,  except  to  be  asked  to  dance,  and 
admired  only  in  the  distance.  But  let  us  take  seats  on 
that  sofa,  and  then  we  may  go  beyond  the  pantomime, 
and  become  partakers  in  the  sentiment  of  the  scene." 

Grace  and  Eve  were  now  led  off  to  dance,  and  the 
others  did  as  John  Effingham  had  suggested.  In  the 
eyes  of  the  belle  and  her  admirers,  they  who  had 
passed  thirty  were  of  no  account,  and  our  listeners 
succeeded  in  establishing  themselves  quietly  within 
ear-shot — this  was  almost  at  duelling  distance,  too, 
— without  at  all  interrupting  the  regular  action  of  the 
piece.  We  extract  a  little  of  the  dialogue,  by  way  of 
giving  a  more  dramatic  representation  of  the  scene. 

"  Do  you  think  the  youngest  Miss  Danvers  beauti 
ful  ?"  asked  the  belle,  while  her  eye  wandered  in  quest 
of  a  sixth  gentleman  to  "  entertain,"  as  the  phrase  is. 
"  In  my  opinion,  she  is  absolutely  the  prettiest  female 
in  Mrs.  Houston's  rooms  this  night." 

The  young  men,  one  and  all,  protested  against  this 
judgment,  and  with  perfect  truth,  for  Miss  Ring  was 
too  original  to  point  out  charms  that  every  one  could 
see. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  77 

"  They  say  it  will  not  be  a  match  between  her  and 
Mr.  Egbert,  after  every  body  has  supposed  it  settled 
so  long.  What  is  your  opinion,  Mr.  Edson?" 

This  timely  question  prevented  Mr.  Edson's  retreat, 
for  he  had  actually  got  so  far  in  this  important  evolu 
tion,  as  to  have  gaped  and  turned  his  back.  Recalled, 
as  it  were  by  the  sound  of  the  bugle,  Mr.  Edson  was 
compelled  to  say  something,  ar  sore  affliction  to  him 
always. 

"  Oh !  I  'm  quite  of  your  way  of  thinking ;  they  have 
certainly  courted  too  long  to  think  of  marrying." 

"  I  detest  long  courtships ;  they  must  be  perfect  an 
tidotes  to  love ;  are  they  not,  Mr.  Moreland  ?" 

A  truant  glance  of  Mr.  Moreland's  eye  was  rebuked 
by  this  appeal,  and  instead  of  looking  for  a  place  of 
refuge,  he  now  merely  looked  sheepish.  He,  however, 
entirely  agreed  with  the  young  lady,  as  the  surer  way 
of  getting  out  of  the  difficulty. 

"  Pray,  Mr.  Summerfield,  how  do  you  like  the  last 
Hajji — Miss  Eve  Effingham  ?  To  my  notion,  she  is 
prettyish,  though  by  no  means  as  well  as  her  cousin, 
Miss  Van  Cortlandt,  who  is  really  rather  good-look 
ing-" 

As  Eve  and  Grace  were  the  two  most  truly  lovely 
young  women  in  the  rooms,  this  opinion,  as  well  as 
the  loud  tone  in  which  it  was  given,  startled  Made 
moiselle  Viefville  quite  as  much  as  the  subjects  that 
the  belle  had  selected  for  discussion.  She  would  have 
moved,  as  listening  to  a  conversation  that  was  not 
meant  for  their  ears ;  but  John  Effingham  quietly  as 
sured  her  that  Miss  Ring  seldom  spoke  in  company 
without  intending  as  many  persons  as  possible  to  hear 
her. 

"  Miss  Effingham  is  very  plainly  dressed  for  an  only 
daughter,"  continued  the  young  lady,  "  though  that 
lace  of  her  cousin's  is  real  point !  I  '11  engage  it  cost 
every  cent  of  ten  dollars  a  yard  !  They  are  both  en 
gaged  to  be  married,  I  hear." 
7* 


78  HOME    AS    TOUND. 

"del!"  exclaimed  Mademoiselle  Viefville. 

"  Oh !  That  is  nothing,"  observed  John  Effingham, 
coolly.  "  Wait  a  moment,  and  you  '11  hear  that  they 
have  been  privately  married  these  six  months,  if,  in 
deed,  you  hear  no  more." 

"  Of  course  this  is  but  an  idle  tale  1"  said  Sir  George 
Templemore  with  a  concern,  which,  in  despite  of  his 
good  breeding,  compelled  him  to  put  a  question  that, 
under  other  circumstances,  would  scarcely  have  been 
permissible. 

"As  true  as  the  gospel.  But  listen  to  the  bell,  it  is 
ringing  for  the  good  of  the  whole  parish." 

"  The  affair  between  Miss  Effingham  and  Mr.  Mor- 
peth,  who  knew  her  abroad,  I  understand  is  entirely 
broken  off;  some  say  the  father  objected  to  Mr.  Mor- 
peth's  want  of  fortune ;  others  that  the  lady  was  fickle, 
while  some  accuse  the  gentleman  of  the  same  vice. 
Don't  you  think  it  shocking  to  jilt,  in  either  sex,  Mr. 
Mosely  ?" 

The  retiring  Mr.  Mosely  was  drawn  again  within 
the  circle,  and  was  obliged  to  confess  that  he  thought 
it  was  very  shocking,  in  either  sex,  to  jilt. 

"  If  I  were  a  man,"  continued  the  belle,  "  I  would 
never  think  of  a  young  woman  who  had  once  jilted  a 
lover.  To  my  mind,  it  bespeaks  a  bad  heart,  and  a 
woman  with  a  bad  heart  cannot  make  a  very  amiable 
wife." 

"What  an  exceedingly  clever  creature  she  is," 
whispered  Mr.  Mosely  to  Mr.  Moreland,  and  he  now 
made  up  his  mind  to  remain  and  be  '  entertained'  some 
time  longer. 

"  I  think  poor  Mr.  Morpeth  greatly  to  be  pitied ;  for 
no  man  would  be  so  silly  as  to  be  attentive  seriously 
to  a  lady  without  encouragement.  Encouragement  is 
the  ne  plus  ultra  of  courtship  ;  are  you  not  of  my 
opinion,  Mr.  Walworth  ?" 

Mr.  Walworth  was  number  five  of  the  entertainees, 
and  he  did  understand  Latin,  of  which  the  young  lady, 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  79 

though  fond  of  using  scraps,  knew  literally  nothing. 
He  smiled  an  assent,  therefore,  and  the  btlle  feli 
citated  herself  in  having  '  entertained'  him  effectually  ; 
nor  was  she  mistaken. 

"  Indeed,  they  say  Miss  Effingham  had  several 
affairs  of  the  heart,  while  in  Europe,  but  it  seems  she 
was  unfortunate  in  them  all." 

"  Mais,  ceci  est  trop  fort !     Je  ne  peux  plus  ecouter" 

"My  dear  Mademoiselle,  compose  yourself.  The 
crisis  is  not  yet  arrived,  by  any  means." 

"  I  understand  she  still  corresponds  with  a  German 
Baron,  and  an  Italian  Marquis,  though  both  engage 
ments  are  absolutely  broken  off.  Some  people  say 
she  walks  into  company  alone,  unsupported  by  any 
gentleman,  by  way  of  announcing  a  firm  determina 
tion  to  remain  single  for  life." 

A  common  exclamation  from  the  young  men  pro 
claimed  their  disapprobation ;  and  that  night  three  of 
them  actually  repeated  the  thing,  as  a  well  established 
truth,  and  two  of  the  three,  failing  of  something  bet 
ter  to  talk  about,  also  announced  that  Eve  was  actu 
ally  engaged  to  be  married. 

"  There  is  something  excessively  indelicate  in  a 
young  lady's  moving  about  a  room  without  having  a 
gentleman's  arm  to  lean  on !  I  always  feel  as  if  such 
a  person  was  out  of  her  place,  and  ought  to  be  in  the 
kitchen." 

"But,  Miss  Ring,  what  well-bred  person  does  it?" 
sputtered  Mr.  Moreland.  "  No  one  ever  heard  of  such 
a  thing  in  good  society.  'Tis  quite  shocking  !  Alto 
gether  unprecedented," 

"  It  strikes  me  as  being  excessively  coarse  !" 

"Oh!  manifestly;  quite  rustic!"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Edson. 

"  What  can  possibly  be  more  vulgar  1"  added  Mr. 
Walworth. 

"  I  never  heard  of  such  a  thing  among  the  right 
sort !"  said  Mr.  Mosely. 


HUME  AS 

"  A  young  lady  who  can  be  so  brazen  as  to  come 
into  a  room  without  a  gentleman's  arm  to  lean  on,  is, 
in  my  judgment  at  least,  but  indifferently  educated, 
Hajji  or  no  Hajji.  Mr.  Edson,  have  you  ever  felt  the 
tender  passion  t  I  know  you  have  been  desperately 
in  love,  once,  at  least ;  do  describe  to  me  some  of  the 
symptoms,  in  order  that  I  may  know  when  I  am  seri 
ously  attacked  myself  by  the 'disease." 

"  Mais,  ceci  est  ridicule !  L 'enfant  s'est  sauvte  du 
Charenton  de  New-York." 

"  From  the  nursery  rather,  Mademoiselle ;  you  per 
ceive  she  does  not  yet  know  how  to  walk  alone." 

Mr.  Edson  now  protested  that  he  was  too  stupid  to 
feel  a  passion  as  intellectual  as  love,  and  that  he  was 
afraid  he  was  destined  by  nature  to  remain  as  insensi 
ble  as  a  block. 

"  One  never  knows,  Mr.  Edson,"  said  the  young  la 
dy,  encouragingly.  "  Several  of  my  acquaintances, 
who  thought  themselves  quite  safe,  have  been  seized 
suddenly,  and,  though  none  have  actually  died,  more 
than  one  has  been  roughly  treated,  I  assure  you." 

Here  the  young  men,  one  and  all,  protested  that  she 
was  excessively  clever.  Then  succeeded  a  pause,  for 
Miss  Ring  was  inviting,  with  her  eyes,  a  number  six  to 
join  the  circle,  her  ambition  being  dissatisfied  with  five 
entertainees,  as  she  saw  that  Miss  Trumpet,  a  rival 
belle,  had  managed  to  get  exactly  that  number,  also, 
in  the  other  room.  All  the  gentlemen  availed  them 
selves  of  the  cessation  in  wit  to  gape,  and  Mr.  Edson 
took  the  occasion  to  remark  to  Mr.  Summerfield  that 
he  understood  "  lots  had  been  sold  in  seven  hundredth 
street  that  morning,  as  high  as  two  hundred  dollars  a 
lot." 

The  quadrille  now  ended,  and  Eve  returned  towards 
her  fri-ends.  As  she  approached,  the  whole  party  com 
pared  her  quiet,  simple,  feminine,  and  yet  dignified  air, 
with  the  restless,  beau-catching,  and  worldly  look  of 
the  belle,  and  wondered  by  what  law  of  nature,  or  of 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  81 

fashion,  the  one  could  possibly  become  the  subject  of 
the  other's  comments.  Eve  never  appeared  better  than 
that  evening.  Her  dress  had  all  the  accuracy  and  fin 
ish  of  a  Parisian  toilette,  being  equally  removed  from 
exaggeration  and  neglect ;  and  it  was  worn  with  the 
ease  of  one  accustomed  to  be  elegantly  attired,  and 
vet  never  decked  with  finery.  Her  step  even  was 
that  of  a  lady,  having  neither  the  mincing  tread  of  a 
Paris  grisette,  a  manner  that  sometimes  ascends  even 
to  the  bourgeoiset  the  march  of  a  cockneyess,  nor  the 
tiptoe  swing  of  a  belle ;  but  it  was  the  natural  though 
regulated  step,  of  a  trained  and  delicate  woman. 
Walk  alone  she  could  certainly,  and  always  did,  except 
on  those  occasions  of  ceremony  that  demanded  a  part 
ner.  Her  countenance,  across  which  an  unworthy 
thought  had  never  left  a  trace,  was  an  index,  too,  to 
the  purity,  high  principles  and  womanly  self-respect 
that  controlled  all  her  acts,  and,  in  these  particulars, 
was  the  very  reverse  of  the  feverish,  half-hoydenish, 
half-affected  expression  of  that  of  Miss  Ring. 

"  They  may  say  what  they  please,"  muttered  Cap 
tain  Truck,  who  had  been  a  silent  but  wondering  lis 
tener  of  all  that  passed ;  "  she  is  worth  as  many  of 
them  as  could  be  stowed  in  the  Montauk's  lower  hold." 

Miss  Ring  perceiving  Eve  approach,  was  desirous 
of  saying  something  to  her,  for  there  was  an  eclat  about 
a  Hajji,  after  all,  that  rendered  an  acquaintance,  or 
even  an  intimacy  desirable,  and  she  smiled  and  curt 
sied.  Eve  returned  the  salutation,  but  as  she  did  not 
care  to  approach  a  group  of  six,  of  which  no  less  than 
five  were  men,  she  continued  to  move  towards  her 
own  party.  This  reserve  compelled  Miss  Ring  to  ad 
vance  a  step  or  two,  when  Eve  was  obliged  to  stop. 
Curtsying  to  her  partner,  she  thanked  him  for  his 
attention,  relinquished  his  arm,  and  turned  to  meet  the 
lady.  At  the  same  instant  the  five  'entertainees' 
escaped  in  a  body,  equally  rejoiced  at  their  release,  and 
proud  of  their  captivity. 


82  HOME    AS    FOUXD. 

"  I  have  been  dying  to  come  and  speak  to  you,  Miss 
Effingham,"  commenced  Miss  Ring,  "  but  these  five 
giants  (she  emphasized  the  word  we  have  put  in  italics) 
so  beset  me,  that  escape  was  quite  impossible.  There 
ought  to  be  a  law  that  but  one  gentleman  should  speak 
to  a  lady  at  a  time." 

"I  thought  there  was  such  a  law  already;"  said 
Eve,  quietly. 

"  You  mean  in  good  breeding ;  but  no  one  thinks  of 
those  antiquated  laws  now-a-days.  Are  you  begin 
ning  to  be  reconciled,  a  little,  to  your  awn  country  ?" 

"  It  is  not  easy  to  effect  a  reconciliation  where  there 
has  been  no  misunderstanding.  I  hope  I  have  never 
quarrelled  wifh  my  country,  or  my  country  with  me." 
"Oh!  it  is  not  exactly  that  I  mean.  Cannot  one 
need  a  reconciliation  without  a  quarrel?  What  do 
you  say  to  this,  Mr.  Edson  ?" 

Miss  Ring  having  detected  some  symptoms  of  de 
sertion  in  the  gentleman  addressed,  had  thrown  in  this 
question  by  way  of  recal ;  when  turning  to  note  its 
eflect,  she  perceived  that  all  of  her  clientele  had 
escaped.  A  look  of  surprise  and  mortification  and  vexa 
tion  it  was  not  in  her  power  to  suppress,  and  then 
came  one  of  horror. 

"  How  conspicuous  we  have  made  ourselves,  and  it 
is  all  rny  fault !"  she  said,  for  the  first  time  that  even 
ing  permitting  her  voice  to  fall  to  a  becoming  tone. 
"  Why,  here  we  actually  are,  two  ladies  conversing 
together,  and  no  gentleman  near  us !" 

"Is  that  being  conspicuous?'  asked  Eve,  with  a 
simplicity  that  was  entirely  natural. 

"  I  am  sure,  Miss  Effingham,  one  who  has  seen  as 
much  of  society  as  you,  can  scarcely  ask  that  ques 
tion  seriously.  I  do  not  think  I  have  done  so  improper 
a  thing,  since  I  was  fifteen ;  and,  dear  me !  dear  me ! 
how  to  escape  is  the  question.  You  have  permitted 
your  partner  to  go,  and  I  do  not  see  a  gentleman  of 
my  acquaintance  near  us,  to  give  me  his  arm  !" 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  83 

"  As  your  distress  is  occasioned  by  my  company," 
said  Eve,  "  it  is  fortunately  in  my  power  to  relieve  it." 
Thus  saying,  she  quietly  walked  across  the  room,  and 
took  her  seat  next  to  Mademoiselle  Viefville. 

Miss  Ring  held  up  her  hands  in  amazement,  and 
then  fortunately  perceiving  one  of  the  truants  gaping 
at  no  great  distance,  she  beckoned  him  to  her  side. 

"  Have  the  goodness  to  give  me  your  arm,  Mr. 
Summerfield,"  she  said,  "  I  am  dying  to  get  out  of  this 
unpleasantly  conspicuous  situation;  but  you  are  the 
first  gentleman  that  has  approached  me  this  twelve 
month.  I  would  not  for  the  world  do  so  brazen  a 
thing  as  Miss  Effingham  has  just  achieved ;  would  you 
believe  it,  she  positively  went  from  this  spot  to  her 
seat,  quite  alone!" 

"  The  Hajjis  are  privileged." 

"  They  make  themselves  so.  But  every  body  knows 
how  bold  and  unwomanly  the  French  females  are. 
One  could  wish,  notwithstanding,  that  our  own  people 
would  not  import  their  audacious  usages  into  this 
country." 

"  It  is  a  thousand  pities  that  Mr.  Clay,  in  his  com 
promise,  neglected  to  make  an  exception  against  that 
article.  A  tariff  on  impudence  would  not  be  at  all 
sectional." 

"  It  might  interfere  with  the  manufacture  at  home, 
notwithstanding,"  said  John  Effingham  ;  for  the  lungs 
were  strong,  and  the  rooms  of  Mrs.  Houston  so  small, 
that  little  was  said  that  evening,  which  was  not  heard 
by  any  who  chose  to  listen.  But  Miss  Ring  never  lis 
tened,  it  being  no  part  of  the  vocation  of  a  belle  to 
perform  that  inferior  office,  and  sustained  by  the  pro 
tecting  arm  of  Mr.  Summerfield,  she  advanced  more 
boldly  into  the  crowd,  where  she  soon  contrived  to 
catch  another  group  of  even  six  "  entertainees."  As 
for  Mr.  Summerfield,  he  lived  a  twelvemonth  on  the 
reputation  of  the  exceedingly  clever  thing  he  had  just 
uttered. 


84 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


"There  come  Ned  and  Aristabulus,"  said  John 
Effingham,  as  soon  as  the  tones  of  Miss  Ring's  voice 
were  lost  in  the  din  of  fifty  others,  pitched  to  the  same 
key.  "  A  present,  Mademoiselle,  je  vais  ?ious  venger.'1 

As  John  Effingham  uttered  this,  he  took  Captain 
Truck  by  the  arm,  and  went  to  meet  his  cousin  and 
the  land  agent.  The  latter  he  soon  separated  from 
Mr.  Effingham,  and  with  this  new  recruit,  he  man 
aged  to  get  so  near  to  Miss  Ring  as  to  attract  her 
attention.  Although  fifty,  John  Effingham  was  known 
to  be  a  bachelor,  well  connected,  and  to  have  twenty 
thousand  a  year.  In  addition,  he  was  well  pre 
served  and  singularly  handsome,  besides  having  an  air 
that  set  all  pretending  gentility  at  defiance.  These 
were  qualities  that  no  belle  despised,  and  ill-assorted 
matches  were,  moreover,  just  coming  into  fashion  in 
New- York.  Miss  Ring  had  an  intuitive  knowledge 
that  he  wished  to  speak  to  her,  and  she  was  not  slow 
in  offering  the  opportunity.  The  superior  tone  of  John 
Effingham,  his  caustic  wit  and  knowledge  of  the 
world,  dispersed  the  five  beaux,  incontinently;  these 
persons  having  a  natural  antipathy  to  every  one  of  the 
qualities  named. 

"  I  hope  you  will  permit  me  to  presume  on  an  ac 
quaintance  that  extends  back  as  far  as  your  grand 
father,  Miss  Ring,"  he  said,  "  to  present  two  very  in 
timate  friends ;  Mr.  Bragg  and  Mr.  Truck ;  gentlemen 
who  will  well  reward  the  acquaintance." 

The  lady  bowed  graciously,  for  it  was  a  matter  of 
conscience  with  her  to  receive  every  man  with  a 
smile.  She  was  still  too  much  in  awe  of  the  master 
of  ceremonies  to  open  her  batteries  of  attack,  but  John 
Effingham  soon  relieved  her,  by  affecting  a  desire  to 
speak  to  another  lady.  The  belle  had  now  the  two 
strangers  to  herself,  and  having  heard  that  the  Effing- 
hams  had  an  Englishman  of  condition  as  a  companion, 
who  was  travelling  under  a  false  name,  she  fancied 
herself  very  clever  in  detecting  him  at  once  in  the 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  85 

person  ot  Aristabulus ;  while  by  the  aid  of  a  lively 
imagination,  she  thought  Mr.  Truck  was  his  travelling 
Mentor,  and  a  divine  of  the  church  of  England.  The 
incognito  she  was  too  well  bred  to  hint  at,  though  she 
wished  both  the  gentlemen  to  perceive  that  a  belle  was 
not  to  be  mystified  in  this  easy  manner.  Indeed,  she 
was  rather  sensitive  on  the  subject  of  her  readiness  in 
recognizing  a  man  of  fashion  under  any  circumstan 
ces,  and  to  let  this  be  known  was  her  very  first  object, 
as  soon  as  she  was  relieved  from  the  presence  of  John 
Effingham. 

"  You  must  be  struck  with  the  unsophisticated  na 
ture  and  the  extreme  simplicity  of  our  society,  Mr. 
Bragg,"  she  said,  looking  at  him  significantly ;  "  we 
are  very  conscious  it  is  not  what  it  might  be,  but  do 
you  not  think  it  pretty  well  for  beginners  ?" 

Now,  Mr.  Bragg  had  an  entire  consciousness  that 
he  had  never  seen  any  society  that  deserved  the  name 
before  this  very  night,  but  he  was  supported  in  giving 
his  opinions  by  that  secret  sense  of  his  qualifications 
to  fill  any  station,  which  formed  so  conspicuous  a  trait 
in  his  character,  and  his  answer  was  given  with  an 
tiplomh  that  would  have  added  wreight  to  the  opinion 
of  the  veriest  eltgant  of  the  Chaussfe  (VJlntin. 

**  It  is  indeed  a  good  deal  unsophisticated,"  he  said, 
"  and  so  simple  that  any  body  can  understand  it.  I 
find  but  a  single  fault  with  this  entertainment,  which 
is,  in  all  else,  the  perfection  of  elegance  in  my  eyes, 
and  that  is,  that  there  is  too  little  room  to  swing  the 
legs  in  dancing." 

"  Indeed  ! — -I  did  not  expect  that — is  it  not  the  best 
usage  of  Europe,  now,  to  bring  a  quadrille  into  the 
very  minimum  of  space?" 

"  Quite  the  contrary,  Miss.  All  good  dancing  re 
quires  evolutions.  The  dancing  Dervishes,  for  instance, 
would  occupy  quite  as  much  space  as  both  of  these 
sets  that  are  walking  before  us,  and  I  believe  it  is  now 
8 


86  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

generally  admitted  that  all  good  dancing  needs  room 
for  the  legs." 

"  We  necessarily  get  a  little  behind  the  fashions,  in 
this  distant  country.  Pray,  sir,  is  it  usual  for  ladies  to 
walk  alone  in  society  ?' 

"  Woman  was  not  made  to  move  through  life  alone, 
Miss,"  returned  Aristabulus  with  a  sentimental  glance 
of  the  eye,  for  he  never  let  a  good  opportunity  for  pre 
ferment  slip  through  his  fingers,  and,  failing  of  Miss 
Effingham,  or  Miss  Van  Cortlandt,  of  whose  estates 
and  connections  he  had  some  pretty  accurate  notions, 
it  struck  him  Miss  Ring  might,  possibly,  be  a  very 
eligible  connection,  as  all  was  grist  that  came  to  his 
mill ;  "  this  I  believe,  is  an  admitted  truth." 

"  By  life  you  mean  matrimony,  I  suppose." 

"  Yes,  Miss,  a  man  always  means  matrimony,  when 
he  speaks  to  a  young  lady." 

This  rather  disconcerted  Miss  Ring,  who  picked  her 
nosegay,  for  she  was  not  accustomed  to  hear  gentle 
men  talk  to  ladies  of  matrimony,  but  ladies  to  talk 
to  gentlemen.  Recovering  her  self-possession,  how 
ever,  she  said  with  a  promptitude  that  did  the  sciiool 
to  which  she  belonged  infinite  credit, — 

"  You  speak,  sir,  like  one  having  experience." 

"Certainly,  Miss;  I  have  been  in  love  ever  since  I 
was  ten  years  old ;  I  may  say  I  was  born  in  love,  and 
hope  to  die  in  love." 

This  a  little  out-Heroded  Herod,  but  the  belle  was 
not  a  person  to  be  easily  daunted  on  such  a  subject. 
She  smiled  graciously,  therefore,  and  continued  the 
conversation  with  renewed  spirit. 

"  You  travelled  gentleman  get  odd  notions,"  she  said, 
"  and  more  particularly  on  such  subjects.  I  always 
feel  afraid  to  discuss  them  with  foreigners,  though  with 
rny  own  countrymen  I  have  few  reserves.  Pray,  Mr. 
Truck,  are  you  satisfied  with  America  ? — Do  you  find 
it  the  country  you  expected  to  see  ?" 

"Certainly,  marm ;"    for  so  they  pronounced  this 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  87 

word  in  the  river,  and  the  captain  cherished  his  first 
impressions ;  "  when  we  sailed  from  Portsmouth,  I  ex 
pected  that  the  first  land  we  shoufcl  make  would  be  the 
Highlands  of  Navesink;  and,  although  a  little  disap 
pointed,  I  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  laying  eyes  on 
it  at  last." 

"  Disappointment,  1  fear,  is  the  usual  fate  of  those 
who  come  from  the  other  side.  Is  this  dwelling  of  Mrs. 
Houston's  equal  to  the  residence  of  an  English  noble 
man,  Mr.  Bragg  ?" 

"Considerably  better,  Miss,  especially  in  the  way 
of  republican  comfort." 

Miss  Ring,  like  all  belles,  detested  the  word  repub 
lican,  their  vocation  being  clearly  to  exclusion,  and 
she  pouted  a  little  affectedly. 

"  I  should  distrust  the  quality  of  suc4i  comfort,  sir," 
she  said,  with  point ;  "  but,  are  the  rooms  at  all  com 
parable  with  the  rooms  in  Apsley  House,  for  instance?" 

"  My  dear  Miss,  Apsley  House  is  a  toll-gate  lodge, 
compared  to  this  mansion !  I  doubt  if  there  be  a  dwell 
ing  in  all  England  half  as  magnificent — indeed,  I  can 
not  imagine  any  thing  more  brilliant  and  rich." 

Aristabulus  was  not  a  man  to  do  things  by  halves, 
and  it  was  a  point  of  honour  with  him  to  know  some 
thing  of  every  thing.  It  is  true  he  no  more  could  tell 
where  Apsley  House  is,  or  whether  it  was  a  tavern  or 
a  gaol,  than  he  knew  half  the  other  things  on  which 
he  delivered  oracular  opinions;  but  when  it  became 
necessary  to  speak,  he  was  not  apt  to  balk  conversa 
tion  from  any  ignorance,  real  or  affected.  The  opi 
nion  he  had  just  given,  it  is  true,  had  a  little  surpassed 
Miss  Ring's  hopes ;  for  the  next  thing,  in  her  ambition 
to  being  a  belle,  and  of  "  entertaining"  gentlemen,  was 
to  fancy  she  was  running  her  brilliant  career  in  an  or 
bit  of  fashion  that  lay  parallel  to  that  of  the  "nobility 
and  gentry  "  of  Great  Britain. 

"  Well,  this  surpasses  my  hopes,"  she  said,  "  although 
I  was  aware  we  are  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  more 


88  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

improved  tastes  of  Europe :  still,  I  thought  we  were  a 
little  inferior  to  that  part  of  the  world,  ye-t." 

"  Inferior,  Miss !  That  is  a  word  that  should  never 
pass  your  lips ;  you  are  inferior  to  nothing,  whether 
in  Europe  or  America,  Asia  or  Africa." 

As  Miss  Ring  had  been  accustomed  to  do  most  of 
the  flattering  herself,  asbehoveth  a  belle,  she  began  to  be 
disconcerted  with  the  directness  of  the  compliments 
of  Aristabulus,  who  was  disposed  to  '  make  hay  while 
the  sun  shines;'  and  she  turned,  in  a  little  confusion,  to 
the  captain,  by  way  of  relief;  we  say  confusion,  for 
the  young  lady,  although  so  liable  to  be  misunderstood, 
was' not  actually  impudent,  but  merely  deceived  in  the 
relations  of  things ;  or,  in  other  words,  by  some  con 
fusion  in  usages,  she  had  hitherto  permitted  herself  to 
do  that  in  society,  which  female  performers  sometimes 
do  on  the  stage ;  enact  the  part  of  a  man. 

"  You  should  tell  Mr.  Bragg,  sir,"  she  said,  with  an 
appeaKng  look  at  the  captain,  "  that  flattery  is  a  dan 
gerous  vice,  and  one  altogether  unsuited  to  a  Christian." 

*«  It  is,  indeed,  marrn,  and  one  that  I  never  indulge 
in.  No  one  under  my  orders,  can  accuse  me  of  flat 
tery." 

By  *  under  orders,'  Miss  Ring  understood  curates 
and  deacons ;  for  she  was  aware  the  church  of  Eng 
land  had  clerical  distinctions  of  this  sort,  that  are  un 
known  in  America. 

"  I  hope,  sir,  you  do  not  intend  to  quit  this  country 
without  favouring  us  with  a  discourse." 

"  Not  I,  marm — I  am  discoursing  pretty  much  from 
morning  till  night,  when  among  my  own  people,  though 
I  own  that  this  conversing  rather  puts  me  out  of  my 
reckoning.  Let  me  get  my  foot  on  the  planks  I  love, 
with  an  attentive  audience,  and  a  good  cigar  in  my 
mouth,  and  I  '11  hold  forth  with  any  bishop  in  the  uni 
verse." 

"  A  cigar !"  exclaimed  Miss  Ring,  in  surprise.  "  Do 
gentlemen  of  your  profession  use  cigars  when  on 
duty  ?" 


HOME    AS    FOUND  89 

"  Does  a  parson  take  his  fees  ?  Why,  Miss,  there 
is  not  a  man  among  us,  who  does  not  smoke  from 
morning  till  night." 

"  Surely  not  on  Sundays !" 

"  Two  for  one,  on  those  days,  more  than  on  any 
other." 

"  And  your  people,  sir,  what  do  they  do,  all  this 
time  ?' 

"  Why,  marm,  most  of  them  chew ;  and  those  that 
don't,  if  they  cannot  find  a  pipe,  have  a  dull  time  of  it. 
For  my  part,  I  shall  hardly  relish  the  good  place  itself, 
if  cigars  are  prohibited." 

Miss  Ring  was  surprised ;  but  she  had  heard  that 
the  English  clergy  were  more  free  than  our  own,  and 
then  she  had  been  accustomed  to  think  every  thing 
English  of  the  purest  water.  A  little  reflection  recon 
ciled  her  to  the  innovation  ;  and  the  next  day,  at  a 
dinner  party,  she  was  heard  defending  the  usage  as  a 
practice  that  had  a  precedent  in  the  ancient  incense  of 
the  altar.  At  the  moment,  however,  she  wras  dying  to 
impart  her  discoveries  to  others ;  and  she  kindly  pro 
posed  to  the  captain' and  Aristabulus  to  introduce  them 
to  some  of  her  acquaintances,  as  they  must  find  it  dull, 
being  strangers,  to  know  no  one.  Introductions  and 
cigars  were  the  captain's  hobbies,  and  he  accepted  the 
offer  with  joy,  Aristabulus  uniting  cordially  in  the  pro 
position,  as  he  fancied  he  had  a  right,  under  the  Con 
stitution  of  the  United  States  of  America,  to  be  intro 
duced  to  every  human  being  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  how  much  the  party 
with  whom  the  two  neophytes  in  fashion  had  come, 
enjoyed  all  this,  though  they  concealed  their  amuse 
ment  under  the  calm  exterior  of  people  of  the  world. 
From  Mr.  Effingham  the  mystification  was  carefully 
concealed  by  his  cousin,  as  the  former  would  have 
felt  it  due  to  Mrs.  Houston,  a  well-meaning,  but  silly 
woman,  to  put  an  end  to  it.  Eve  and  Grace  laughed. 
8* 


90  HOME    AS    FOUND 

as  merry  girls  would  be  apt  to  laugh,  at  such  an  oc 
currence,  and  they  danced  the  remainder  of  the  eve 
ning  with  lighter  hearts  than  ever.  At  one,  the  com 
pany  retired  in  the  same  informal  manner,  as  respects 
announcements  and  the  calling  of  carriages,  as  that  in 
which  they  had  entered ;  mo'st  to  lay  their  drowsy 
heads  on  their  pillows,  and  Miss  Ring  to  ponder  over 
the  superior  manners  of  a  polished  young  Englishman, 
and  to  dream  of  the  fragrance  of  a  sermon  that  was 
preserved  in  tobacco. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


"  Marry,  our  play  is  the  most  lamentable 
Comedy,  and  most  cruel  death  of  Pyramus  and 
Thisby." 

PETER  QUIXCE. 


OUR  task  in  the  way  of  describing  town  society  will 
soon  be  ended.  The  gentlemen  of  the  Effingham 
family  had  been  invited  to  meet  Sir  George  Temple- 
more  at  one  or  two  dinners.,  to  which  the'latter  had 
been  invited  in  consequence  of  his  letters,  most  of 
which  were  connected  with  his  pecuniary  arrange 
ments.  As  one  of  these  entertainments  was  like  all 
the  rest  of  the  same  character,  a  very  brief  account 
of  it  will  suffice  to  let  the  reader  into  the  secret  of  the 
excellence  of  the  genus. 

A  well-spread  board,  excellent  viands,  highly  re 
spectable  cookery,  and  delicious  wines,  were  every 
where  met.  Two  rows  of  men  clad  in  dark  dresses, 
a  solitary  female  at  the  head  of  the  table,  or,  if  fortu 
nate,  with  a  supporter  of  the  same  sex  near  her,  inva 
riably  composed  the  convives.  The  exaggerations  of  a 
province  were  seen  ludicrously  in  one  particular  cus 
tom.  The  host,  or  perhaps  it  might  have  been  the 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  91 

hostess,  had  been  told  there  should  be  a  contrast  be 
tween  the  duller  light  of  the  reception-room,  and  the 
brilliancy  of  the  table,  and  John  Effingharn  actually  hit 
his  legs  against  a  stool,  in  floundering  through  the 
obscurity  of  the  first  drawing-room  he  entered  on  one 
of  the  occasions  in  question. 

When  seated  at  table,  the  first  great  duty  of  restau- 
ration  performed,  the  conversation  turned  on  the  prices 
of  lots,  speculations  in  towns,  or  the  currency.  After 
this  came  the  regular  assay  of  wines,  during  which  it 
was  easy  to  fancy  the  master  of  the  house  a  dealer, 
for  he  usually  sat  either  sucking  a  syphon  or  flourish 
ing  a  cork-screw.  The  discourse  would  now  have 
done  credit  to  the  annual  meeting  and  dinner  of  the 
German  exporters,  assembled  at  Rudesheim  to  bid  for 
the  article. 

Sir  George  was  certainly  on  the  point  of  forming  a 
very  erroneous  judgment  concerning  the  country, 
when  Mr.  Effingham  extricated  him  from  this  set,  and 
introduced  him  -properly  into  his  own.  Here,  indeed, 
while  there  was  much  to  strike  a  European  as  pecu 
liar,  and  even  provincial,  the  young  baronet  fared 
much  better.  He  met  with  the  same  quality  of  table, 
relieved  by  an  intelligence  that  was  always  respecta 
ble,  and  a  manliness  of  tone  which,  if  not  unmixed, 
had  the  great  merit  of  a  simplicity  and  nature  that  are 
not  always  found  in  more  sophisticated  circles.  The 
occasional  incongruities  struck  them  all,  more  than  the 
positive  general  faults ;  and  Sir  George  Templemore 
did  justice  to  the  truth,  by  admitting  frankly,  the  dan 
ger  he  had  been  in  of  forming  a  too  hasty  opinion. 

All  this  time,  which  occupied  a  month,  the  young 
baronet  got  to  be  more  and  more  intimate  in  Hudson 
Square,  Eve  gradually  becoming  more  frank  and  unre 
served  with  him,  as  she  grew  sensible  that  he  had 
abandoned  his  hopes  of  success  with  herself,  and  Grace 
gradually  more  cautious  and  timid,  as  she  became  con- 


92  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

scious  of  his  power  to  please,  and  the  interest  he  took 
in  herself. 

It  might  have  been  three  days  after  the  ball  at  Mrs, 
Houston's  that  most  of  the  family  was  engaged  to 
look  in  on  a  Mrs.  Legend,  a  lady  of  what  was  called 
a  literary  turn,  Sir  George  having  been  asked  to  make 
one  of  their  party.  Aristabulus  was  already  returned 
to  his  duty  in  the  country,  where  we  shall  shortly  have 
occasion  to  join  him,  but  an  invitation  had  been  sent 
to  Mr.  Truck,  under  the  general,  erroneous  impression 
of  his  real  character. 

Taste,  whether  in  the  arts,  literature,  or  any  thing 
else,  is  a  natural  impulse,  like  love.  It  is  true  both  may 
be  cultivated  and  heightened  by  circumstances,  but  the 
impulses  must  be  voluntary,  and  the  flow  of  feeling,  or 
of  soul,  as  it  has  become  a  law  to  style  it,  is  not  to  be 
forced,  or  commanded  to  come  and  go  at  will.  This 
is  the  reason  that  all  premeditated  enjoyments  con 
nected  with  the  intellect,  are  apt  to  baffle  expectations, 
and  why  academies,  literary  clubs,  coteries  and  din 
ners  are  commonly  dull.  It  is  true  that  a  body  of  cle 
ver  people  may  be  brought  together,  and,  if  left  to  their 
own  impulses,  the  characters  of  their  mind  will  show 
themselves;  wit  will  flash,  and  thought  will  answer 
thought  spontaneously ;  but  every  effort  to  make  the 
stupid  agreeabie,  by  giving  a  direction  of  a  pretending 
intellectual  nature  to  their  efforts,  is  only  rendering 
dullness  more  conspicuous  by  exhibiting  it  in  contrasi 
with  what  it  ought  to  be  to  be  clever,  as  a  bad  picture 
is  rendered  the  more  conspicuous  by  an  elaborate  and 
gorgeous  frame. 

The  latter  was  the  fate  of  most  of  Mrs.  Legend's 
literary  evenings,  at  which  it  was  thought  an  illustra 
tion  to  understand  even  one  foreign  language.  But,  it 
was  known  that  Eve  was  skilled  in  most  of  the  Euro- 
pean  tongues,  and,  the  good  lady,  not  feeling  that  such 
accomplishments  are  chiefly  useful  as  a  means,  looked 
about  her  in  order  to  collect  a  set,  among  whom  our 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  93 

neroine  might  find  some  one  with  whom  to  converse 
in  each  of  her  dialects.  Little  was  said  about  it,  it  is 
true,  but  great  efforts  were  made  to  cause  this  evening 
to  be  memorable  in  the  annals  of  conversazioni. 

In  carrying  out  this  scheme,  nearly  all  the  wits,  wri 
ters,  artists  and  literati,  as  the  most  incorrigible  mem 
bers  of  the  book  clubs  were  styled,  in  New- York,  were 
pressingly  invited  to  be  present.  Aristabulus  had  con 
trived  to  earn  such  a  reputation  for  the  captain,  on  the 
night  of  the  ball,  that  he  was  universally  called  a  man 
of  letters,  and  an  article  had  actually  appeared  in  one 
of  the  papers,  speaking  of  the  literary  merits  of  the 
"  Hon.  and  Rev.  Mr.  Truck,  a  gentleman  travelling  in 
our  country,  from  whose  liberality  and  just  views,  an 
account  of  our  society  was  to  be  expected,  that  should, 
at  last,  do  justice  to  our  national  character."  With 
such  expectations,  then,  every  true  American  and 
Americaness,  was  expected  to  be  at  his  or  her  post, 
for  the  solemn  occasion.  It  was  a  rally  of  literature, 
in  defence  of  the  institutions — no,  not  of  the  institutions, 
for  they  were  left  to  take  care  of  themselves — but  of 
the  social  character  of  the  community. 

Alas!  it  is  easier  to  feel  high  aspirations  on  such 
subjects,  in  a  provincial  town,  than  to  succeed ;  for 
merely  calling  a  place  an  Emporium,  is  very  far  from 
giving  it  the  independence,  high  tone,  condensed  intel 
ligence  and  tastes  of  a  capital.  Poor  Mrs.  Legend, 
desirous  of  having  all  the  tongues  duly  represented, 
was  obliged  to  invite  certain  dealers  in  gin  from  Hol 
land,  a  German  linen  merchant  from  Saxony,  an  Italian 
Cavaliero,  who  amused  himself  in  selling  beads,  and  a 
Spanish  master,  who  was  born  in  Portugal,  all  of 
whom  had  just  one  requisite  for  conversation  in  their 
respective  languages,  and  no  more.  Bat  such  assem 
blies  were  convened  in  Paris,  and  why  not  in  New- 
York? 

We  shall  not  stop  to  dwell  on  the  awful  sensations 
with  which  Mrs.  Legend  heard  the  first  ring  at  her 


94  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

door,  on  the  eventful  night  in  question.  It  was  the 
precursor  of  the  entrance  of  Miss  Annual,  as  regular 
a  devotee  of  letters  as  ever  conned  a  primer.  The 
mee-ting  was  sentimental  and  affectionate.  Before 
either  had  time,  however,  to  disburthen  her  mind  of 
one  half  of  its  prepared  phrases,  ring  upon  ring  pro 
claimed  more  company,  and  the  rooms  were  soon  as 
much  sprinkled  with  talent,  as  a  modern  novel  with 
jests.  Among  those  who  came  first,  appeared  ail  the 
foreign  corps,  for  the  refreshments  entered  as  some 
thing  into  the  account  with  them ;  every  blue  of  the 
place,  whose  social  position  in  the  least  entitled  her  to 
be  seen  in  such  a  house,  Mrs.  Legend  belonging  quite 
positively  to  good  society. 

The  scene  that  succeeded  was  very  characteristic. 
A  professed  genius  does  nothing  like  other  people,  ex 
cept  in  cases  that  require  a  display  of  talents.  In  all 
minor  matters,  he,  or  she,  is  sui  generis ;  for  sentiment 
is  in  constant  ebullition  in  their  souls ;  this  being  what 
is  meant  by  the  flow  of  that  part  of  the  human  system. 

We  might  here  very  well  adopt  the  Homeric  me 
thod,  and  call  the  roll  of  heroes  and  heroines,  in  what 
the  French  would  term  a  catalogue  raisonnee ;  but  our 
limits  compel  us  to  be  less  ambitious,  and  to  adopt  a 
simpler  mode  of  communicating  facts.  Among  the 
ladies  who  now  figured  in  the  drawing-room  of  Mrs. 
Legend,  besides  Miss  Annual,  were  Miss  Monthly, 
Mrs.  Economy,  S.  R.  P.,  Marion,  Longinus,  Julietta, 
Herodotus,  D.  O.  V.  E.,  and  Mrs.  Demonstration ;  be 
sides  many  others  of  less  note ;  together  with  at  least 
a  dozen  female  Hajjis,  whose  claims  to  appear  in  such 
society  were  pretty  much  dependent  on  the  fact,  that 
having  seen  pictures  and  statues  abroad,  they  necessa 
rily  must  have  the  means  of  talking  of  them  at  home. 
The  list  of  men  was  still  more  formidable  in  numbers, 
if  not  in  talents.  At  its  head  stood  Steadfast  Dodge, 
Esquire,  whose  fame  as  a  male  Hajji  had  so  far  swollen 
since  Mrs.  Jarvis's  reunion,  that,  for  the  first  time  in 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  95 

his  life,  he  now  entered  one  of  the  better  houses  of  his 
own  country.  Then  there  were  the  authors  of  "  La 
pis  Lazuli,"  «  The  Aunts,"  "  The  Reformed,"  "  The 
Conformed,"  "  The  Transformed,"  and  "  The  Deform 
ed;"  with  the  editors  of  "The  Hebdomad,"  "The 
Night  Cap,"  "  The  Chrysalis,"  "  The  Real  Maggot," 
and  "  The  Seek  no  Further ;"  as  also,  "  Junius,"  "  Ju- 
nius  Brutus,"  "Lucius  Junius  Brutus,"  "  Captain  Kant," 
"Florio,"  the  *  Author  of  the  History  of  Billy  Link- 
urn  Tweedle',  the  celebrated  Pottawattamie  Prophet, 
"  Single  Rhyme,"  a  genius  who  had  prudently  rested 
his  fame  in  verse,  on  a  couplet  composed  of  one  line ; 
besides  divers  amateurs  and  connoisseurs,  Hajjis,  who 
?nust  be  men  of  talents,  as  they  had  acquired  all  they 
knew,  very  much  as  American  Eclipse  gained  his  lau 
rels  on  the  turf;  that  is  to  say,  by  a  free  use  of  the 
whip  and  spur. 

As  Mrs.  Legend  sailed  about  her  rooms  amid  such 
a  circle,  her  mind  expanded,  her  thoughts  diffused  them 
selves  among  her  guests  on  the  principle  of  Animal 
Magnetism,  and  her  heart  was  melting  with  the  lender 
sympathies  of  congenial  tastes.  She  felt  herself  to  be 
at  the  head  of  American  talents,  and,  in  the  secret  re 
cesses  of  her  reason,  she  determined  that,  did  even  the 
fate  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  menace  her  native  town, 
as  some  evil  disposed  persons  had  dared  to  insinuate 
might  one  day  be  the  case,  here  was  enough  to  save  it 
from  destruction. 

It  was  just  as  the  mistress  of  the  mansion  had  come 
to  this  consoling  conclusion,  that  the  party  from  Hudson 
Square  rang.  As  few  of  her  guests  came  in  carriages, 
Mrs.  Legend,  who  heard  the  rolling  of  wheels,  felt  per 
suaded  that  the  lion  of  the  night  was  now  indeed  at 
hand ;  and  with  a  view  to  a  proper  reception,  she  re 
quested  the  company  to  divide  itself  into  two  lines,  in 
order  that  he  might  enter,  as  it  were,  between  lanes 
of  genius. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  explain,  at  this  point  of  our 
narrative,  that  John  Effingham  was  perfectly  aware 


06  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

of  the  error  which  existed  in  relation  to  the  real  cha 
racter  of  Captain  Truck,  wherein  he  thought  great  in 
justice  had  been  done  the  honest  seaman;  and,  the  old 
man  intending  to  sail  for  London  next  morning,  had 
persuaded  him  to  accept  this  invitation,  in  order  that 
the  public  mind  might  be  disabused  in  a  matter  of  so 
much  importance.  With  a  view  that  this  might  be  done 
naturally  and  without  fuss,  however,  he  did  not  explain 
the  mistake  to  his  nautical  friend,  believing  it  most 
probable  that  this  could  be  better  done  incidentally,  as 
it  were,  in  the  course  of  the  evening ;  and  feeling  cer 
tain  of  the  force  of  that  wholesome  apothegm,  which 
says  that  "  truth  is  powerful  and  must  prevail."  "  If 
this  be  so,"  added  John  Effingham,  in  his  explanations 
to  Eve,  "  there  can  be  no  place  where  the  sacred  qua 
lity  will  be  so  likely  to  assert  itself,  as  in  a  galaxy  of 
geniuses,  whose  distinctive  characteristic  is  '  an  intui 
tive  perception  of  things  in  their  real  colours.  " 

When  the  door  of  Mrs.  Legend's  drawing-room 
opened,  in  the  usual  noiseless  manner.  Mademoiseue 
Viefville,  who  led  the  way,  was  startled  at  finding  her 
self  in  the  precise  situation  of  one  who  is  condemned 
to  run  the  gauntlet.  Fortunately,  she  caught  a 
glimpse  of  Mrs.  Legend,  posted  at  the  other  end  of  the 
proud  array,  inviting  her,  with  smiles,  to  approach. 
The  invitation  had  been  to  a  "  literary  fete"  and  Made 
moiselle  Viefville  was  too  much  of  a  Frenchwoman 
to  be  totally  disconcerted  at  a  little  scenic  effect  on 
the  occasion  of  a  fete  of  any  sort.  Supposing  she  was 
now  a  witness  of  an  American  ceremony  for  the  first 
time,  for  the  want  of  representation  in  the  country  had 
been  rather  a  subject  of  animadversion  with  her,  she 
advanced  steadily  towards  the  mistress  of  the  house, 
bestowing  smile  for  smile,  this  being  a  part  of  the  pro 
gramme  at  which  a  Parisienne  was  not  easily  outdone. 
Eve  followed,  as  usual,  sola ;  Grace  came  next ;  then 
Sir  George ;  then  John  Effingham ;  the  captain  bring 
ing  up  the  rear.  There  had  been  a  friendly  contest, 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  97 

for  the  precedency,  between  the  two  last,  each  desi 
ring  to  yield  it  to  the  other  on  the  score  of  merit ;  but 
the  captain  prevailed,  by  declaring  "  that  he  was  navi 
gating  an  unknown  sea,  and  that  he  could  do  nothing 
wiser  than  to  sail  in  the  wake  of  so  good  a  pilot  as 
Mr.  John  Effingham." 

As  Hajjis  of  approved  experience,  the  persons  who 
led  the  advance  in  this  little  procession,  were  subjects 
of  a  proper  attention  and  respect ;  but  as  the  admira 
tion  of  mere  vulgar  travelling  would  in  itself  be  vulgar, 
care  was  taken  to  reserve  the  condensed  feeling  of 
the  company  for  the  celebrated  English  writer  and 
wit,  who  was  known  to  bring  up  the  rear.  This  was 
not  a  common  house,  in  which  dollars  had  place,  or 
belles  rioted,  but  the  temple  of  genius ;  and  every  one 
felt  an  ardent  desire  to  manifest  a  proper  homage  to 
tne  abilities  of  tne  established  foreign  writer,  that  should 
be  in  exact  proportion  to  their  indifference  to  the  twenty 
thousand  a  year  of  John  Effingham,  and  to  the  nearly 
equal  amount  of  Eve's  expectations. 

The  personal  appearance  of  the  honest  tar  was  well 
adapted  to  the  character  he  was  thus  caflled  on  so  un 
expectedly  to  support.  His  hair  had  long  been  getting 
grey,  but  the  intense  anxiety  of  the  chase,  of  the 
wreck,  and  of  his  other  recent  adventures,  had  rapidly, 
but  effectually,  increased  this  mark  of  time ;  and  his 
head  was  now  nearly  as  white  as  snow.  The  hale, 
fresh,  red -of  his  features,  which  was  in  truth  the  result 
of  exposure,  might  very  well  pass  for  the  tint  of  port, 
and  his  tread,  which  had  always  a  little  of  the  quarter 
deck  swing  about  it,  might  quite  easily  be  mistaken  by 
a  tyro,  for  the  human  frame  staggering  under  a  load 
of  learning.  Unfortunately  for  those  who  dislike  mys 
tifications,  the  captain  had  consulted  John  Effingham 
on  the  subject  of  the  toilette,  and  that  kind  and  indul 
gent  friend  had  suggested  the  propriety  of  appearing 
in  black  small-clothes  for  the  occasion,  a  costume  that 
fie  often  wore  himself  of  an  evening.  Reality,  in  this 
9 


98  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

instance,  then,  did  not  disappoint. expectation,  and  the 
burst  of  applause  with  which  the  captain  was  received, 
was  accompanied  by  a  general  murmur  in  commen 
dation  of  the  admirable  manner  in  which  he  "  looked 
the  character." 

"  What  a  Byronic  head,"  whispered  the  author  of 
"  The  Transformed"  to  D.  O.  V.  E. ;  «  and  was  there 
ever  such  a  curl  of  the  lip,  before,  to  mortal  man !" 

The  truth  is,  the  captain  had  thrust  his  tobacco  into 
"  an  aside,"  as  a  monkey  is  known  to  empocher  a  spare 
nut,  or  a  lump  of  sugar. 

"  Do  you  think  him  Byronic  ? — To  my  eye,  the  cast 
of  his  head  is  Shaksperian,  rather ;  though  I  confess 
there  is  a  little  of  Milton  about  the  forehead !" 

"  Pray,"  said  Miss  Annual,  to  Lucius  Junius  Brutus, 
"  which  is  commonly  thought  to  be  the  best  of  his 
works ;  that  on  a — a — a, — or  that  on  e — e — e  1" 

Now,  so  it  happened,  that  not  a  soul  in  the  room, 
but  the  lion  himself,  had  any  idea  what  books  he  had 
written,  and  he  knew  only  of  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
log-books.  It  was  generally  understood,  that  he  was 
a  great  English  writer,  and  this  was  more  than  suffi 
cient. 

"  I  believe  the  world  generally  prefers  the  a — a — a," 
said  Lucius  Junius  Brutus ;  "  but  the  few  give  a  de 
cided  preference  to  the  e — e — e " 

"Oh!  out  of  all  question  preferable!"  exclaimed 
half  a  dozen,  in  hearing. 

"  With  what  a  classical  modesty  he  pays  his  com 
pliments  to  Mrs.  Legend,"  observed  "  S.  R.  P." — "  One 
can  always  tell  a  man  of  real  genius,  by  his  tenul" 

"  He  is  so  English !"  cried  Florio.  "  Ah  !  they  are 
the  only  people,  after  all !" 

This  Florio  was  one  of  those  geniuses  who  sigh 
most  for  the  things  that  they  least  possess. 

By  this  time  Captain  Truck  had  got  through  with 
listening  to  the  compliments  of  Mrs.  Legend,  when  he 
was  seized  upon  by  a  circle  of  rabid  literati,  who 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  99 

badgered  him  with  questions  concerning  his  opinions, 
notions,  inferences,  experiences,  associations,  sensa 
tions,  sentiments  and  intentions,  in  a  way  that  soon 
threw  the  old  man  into  a  profuse  perspiration.  Fifty 
times  did  he  wish,  from  the  bottom  of  his  soul,  that 
soul  which  the  crowd  around  him  fancied  dwelt  so 
high  in  the  clouds,  that  he  was  seated  quietly  by  the 
side  of  Mrs.  Hawker,  who,  he  mentally  swore,  was 
worth  all  the  literati  in  Christendom.  But  fate  had 
decreed  otherwise,  and  we  shall  leave  him  to  his  for 
tune,  for  a  time,  and  return  to  our  heroine  and  her 
party. 

As  soon  as  Mrs.  Legend  had  got  through  with  her 
introductory  compliments  to  the  captain,  she  sought 
Eve  and  Grace,  with  a  consciousness  that  a  few  civili 
ties  were  now  their  due. 

"  I  fear,  Miss  Effingham,  after  the  elaborate  soirees 
of  the  literary  circles  in  Paris,  you  will  find  our  re 
unions  of  the  same  sort,  a  little  dull ;  and  yet  I  flatter 
myself  with  having  assembled  most  of  the  talents  of 
New-York  on  this  memorable  occasion,  to  do  honour 
to  your  friend.  Are  you  acquainted  with  many  of  the 
company  ?" 

Now,  Eve  had  never  seen  nor  ever  heard  of  a  single 
being  in  the  room,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Dodge 
and  her  own  party,  before  this  night,  although  most 
of  them  had  been  so  laboriously  employed  in  puffing 
each  other  into  celebrity,  for  many  weary  years  ;  and, 
as  for  elaborate  soirees,  she  thought  she  had  never  seen 
one  half  as  elaborate  as  this  of  Mrs.  Legend's.  As  it 
would  not  very  well  do,  however,  to  express  all  this  in 
words,  she  civilly  desired  the  lady  to  point  out  to  her 
some  of  the  most  distinguished  of  the  company. 

"  With  the  greatest  pleasure,  Miss  Effingham,"  Mrs. 
Legend  taking  pride  in  dwelling  on  the  merits  of  her 
guests. --"This  heavy,  grand-looking  personage,  in 
whose  air  one  sees  refinement  and  modesty  at  a  glance, 
is  Captain  Kant,  the  editor  of  one  of  our  most  de- 


100  HOME    AS    FOUND 

cidedly  pious  newspapers.  His  mind  is  distinguished 
lor  its  intuitive  perception  of  all  that  is  delicate,  re 
served  and  finished  in  the  intellectual  world,  while,  in 
opposition  to  this  quality,  which  is  almost  feminine,  his 
character  is  just  as  remarkable  for  its  unflinching  love 
of  truth.  He  was  never  known  to  publish  a  falsehood, 
and  of  his  foreign  correspondence,  in  particular,  he  is 
so  exceedingly  careful,  that  he  assures  me  he  has 
every  word  of  it  written  under  his  own  eye." 

"On  the  subject  of  his  religious  scruples,"  added 
John  Effingham,  "  he  is  so  fastidiously  exact,  that  I 
hear  he  '  says  grace'  over  every  thing  that  goes  from 
his  press,  and  '  returns  thanks'  for  every  thing"  that 
comes  to  it." 

"You  know  him,  Mr.  Effingham,  by  this  remark? 
Is  he  not,  truly,  a  man  of  a  vocation?" 

"  That,  indeed,  he  is,  ma'am.  He  may  be  succinctly 
said  to  have  a  newspaper  mind,  as  he  reduces  every 
thing  in  nature  or  art  to  news,  and  commonly  imparts 
to  it  so  much  of  his  own  peculiar  character,  that  it 
loses  all  identity  with  the  subjects  to  which  it  origin 
ally  belonged.  One  scarcely  knows  which  to  admire 
most  about  this  man,  the  atmospheric  transparency  of 
his  motives,  for  he  is  so  disinterested  as  seldom  even  to 
think  of  paying  for  a  dinner  when  travelling,  and  yet 
so  conscientious  as  always  to  say  something  obliging 
of  the  tavern  as  soon  as  he  gets  home — his  rigid  regard 
to  facts,  or  the  exquisite  refinement  and  delicacy^that 
he  imparts  to  every  thing  he  touches.  Over  all  this, 
too,  he  throws  a  beautiful  halo  of  morality  and  reli 
gion,  never  even  prevaricating  in  the  hottest  discussion, 
unless  with  the  unction  of  a  saint !" 

"Do  you  happen  to  know  Florio?"  asked  Mrs.  Le 
gend,  a  little  distrusting  John  Effingham's  account  of 
Captain  Kant. 

"  If  I  do,  it  must  indeed  be  by  accident.  What  are 
his  chief  characteristics,  ma'am  ?" 

"  Sentiment,  pathos,  delicacy,  and  all  in  rhyme,  too. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  101 

You,  no  doubt,  have  heard  of  his  triumph  over  Lord 
Byron,  Miss  Effingham  ?" 

Eve  was  obliged  to  confess  that  it  was  new  to  her. 

"  Why,  Byron  wrote  an  ode  to  Greece,  commencing 
with  'The  Isles  of  Greece!  the  Isles  of  Greece!'  a 
very  feeble  line,  as  any  one  will  see,  for  it  contained  a 
useless  and  an  unmeaning  repetition." 

"And  you  might  add  vulgar,  too,  Mrs.  Legend," 
said  John  Effingham,  "  since  it  made  a  palpable  allu 
sion  to  all  those  vulgar  incidents  that  associate  them 
selves  in  the  mind,  with  these  said  common-place  isles. 
The  arts,  philosophy,  poetry,  eloquence,  and  even  old 
Homer,  are  brought  unpleasantly  to  one's  recollection, 
by  such  an  indiscreet  invocation." 

"  So  Florio  thought,  and,  by  way  of  letting  the 
world  perceive  the  essential  difference  between  the 
base  and  the  pure  coin,  he  wrote  an  ode  on  England, 
which  commenced  as  such  an  ode  should!" 

"  Do  you  happen  to  recollect  any  of  it,  ma'am  ?" 

"  Only  the  first  line,  which  I  greatly  regret,  as  the 
rhyme  is  Florio's  chief  merit.  But  this  line  is,  of  itself, 
sufficient  to  immortalize  a  man." 

"  Do  not  keep  us  in  torment,  dear  Mrs.  Legend,  but 
let  us  have  it,  of  heaven's  sake !" 

"  It  began  in  this  sublime  strain,  sir — « Beyond  the 
wave  ! — Beyond  the  wave  I*  Now,  Miss  Effingham, 
that  is  what  /  call  poetry !" 

"  And  well  you  may,  ma'am,"  returned  the  gentle 
man,  who  perceived  Eve  could  scarce  refrain  from 
breaking  out  in  a  very  unsentimental  manner — "  So 
much  pathos." 

"  And  so  sententious  and  flowing !" 

"  Condensing  a  journey  of  three  thousand  miles,  as 
it  might  be,  into  three  words,  and  a  note  of  admira 
tion.  I  trust  it  was  printed  with  a  note  of  admiration, 
Mrs.  Legend?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  with  two — one  behind  each  wave — and 
such  waves,  Mr.  Effingham  !" 

9* 


102  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  Indeed,  ma'am,  you  may  say  so.  One  really  gets 
a  grand  idea  of  them,  England  lying  beyond  each." 

."So  much  expressed  in  so  few  syllables !" 

"  I  think  I  see  every  shoal,  current,  ripple,  rock, 
island,  and  whale,  between  Sandy  Hook  and  the  Land's 
End." 

"  He  hints  at  an  epic." 

"  Pray  God  he  may  execute  one.  Let  him  make 
haste,  too,  or  he  may  get  '  behind  the  age,'  *  behind  the 
age.' » 

Here  the  lady  was  called  away  to  receive  a  guest. 

"  Cousin  Jack !" 

"EveEffingham?" 

"  Do  you  not  sometimes  fear  offending  ?" 

"  Not  a  woman  who  begins  with  expressing  her  ad 
miration  of  such  a  sublime  thing  as  this.  You  are 
safe  with  such  a  person,  any  where  short  of  a  tweak 
of  the  nose." 

"  Mais,  tout  ceci  est  bien  drole  /" 

"  You  never  were  more  mistaken  in  your  life,  Made 
moiselle  ;  every  body  here  looks  upon  it  as  a  matter 
of  life  and  death." 

The  new  guest  was  Mr.  Pindar,  one  of  those  care 
less,  unsentimental  fellows,  that  occasionally  throw  off 
an  ode  that  passes  through  Christendom,  as  dollars  arc 
known  to  pass  from  China  to  Norway,  and  yet,  who 
never  fancied  spectacles  necessary  to  his  appearance, 
solemnity  to  his  face,  nor  soirees  to  his  renown.  After 
quitting  Mrs.  Legend,  he  approached  Eve,  to  whom 
he  was  slightly  known,  and  accosted  her. 

"  This  is  the  region  of  taste,  Miss  Effingham,"  he 
said,  with  a  shrug  of  the  jaw,  if  such  a  member  can 
shrug ;  "  and  I  do  not  wonder  at  finding  you  here." 

He  then  chatted  pleasantly  a  moment,  with  the  par 
ty,  and  passed  on,  giving  an  ominous  gape,  as  he  drew 
nearer  to  the  oi  polloi  of  literature.  A  moment  after 
appeared  Mr.  Gray,  a  man  who  needed  nothing  but 
taste  in  the  public,  and  the  encouragement  that  would 


HOME    AS    FOUND  103 

follow  such  a  taste,  to  stand  at,  or  certainly  near,  the 
head  of  the  poets  of  our  own  time.  He,  too,  looked 
shily  at  the  galaxy,  and  took  refuge  in  a  corner. 
Mr.  Pith  followed ;  a  man  whose  caustic  wit  needs 
only  a  sphere  for  its  exercise,  manners  to  portray,  and 
a  society  with  strong  points  about  it  to  illustrate,  in 
order  to  enrol  his  name  high  on  the  catalogue  of  sa 
tirists.  Another  ring  announced  Mr.  Fun,  a  writer  of 
exquisite  humour,  and  of  finished  periods,  but  who, 
having  perpetrated  a  little  too  much  sentiment,  was 
instantly  seized  upon  by  all  the  ultra  ladies  who  were 
addicted  to  the  same  taste  in  that  way,  in  the  room. 

These  persons  came  late,  like  those  who  had  already 
been  too  often  dosed  in  the  same  way,  to  be  impatient 
of  repetitions.  The  three  first  soon  got  together  in  a 
corner,  and  Eve  fancied  they  were  laughing  at  the  rest 
of  the  company ;  whereas,  in  fact,  they  were  merely 
laughing  at  a  bad  joke  of  their  own;  their  quick  per 
ception  of  the  ludicrous  having  pointed  out  a  hundred 
odd  combinations  and  absurdities,  that  would  have 
escaped  duller  minds. 

"  Who,  in  the  name  of  the  twelve  Caesars,  has  Mrs. 
Legend  got  to  lionize,  yonder,  with  the  white  summit 
and  the  dark  base  ?"  asked  the  writer  of  odes. 

"  Some  English  pamphleteer,  by  what  I  can  learn," 
answered  he  of  satire ;  "  some  fellow  who  has  achieved 
a  pert  review,  or  written  a  Minerva  Pressism,  and  who 
now  flourishes  like  a  bay  tree  among  us.  A  modern 
Horace,  or  a  Juvenal  on  his  travels." 

"  Fun  is  well  badgered,"  observed  Mr.  Gray. — "  Do 
you  not  see  that  Miss  Annual,  Miss  Monthly,  and  that 
young  alphabet  D.  O.  V.  E.,  have  got  him  within  the 
circle  of  their  petticoats,  where  he  will  be  martyred  on 
a  sigh?" 

"  He  casts  longing  looks  this  way ;  he  wishes  you 
to  go  to  his  rescue,  Pith." 

"  I ! — Let  him  take  his  fill  of  sentiment !  I  am  no 
homoepathist  in  such  matters.  Large  doses  in  quick 


104  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

succession,  will  soonest  work  a  cure.  Here  comes  the 
lion,  and  he  breaks  loose  from  his  cage,  like  a  beast 
that  has  been  poked  up  with  sticks." 

"  Good  evening,  gentlemen,"  said  Captain  Truck, 
wiping  his  face  intensely,  and  who  having  made  his 
escape  from  a  throng  of  admirers,  took  refuge  in  the 
first  port  that  offered.  "You  seem  to  be  enjoying 
yourselves  here  in  a  rational  and  agreeable  way.  Quite 
cool  and  refreshing  in  this  corner." 

"  And  yet  we  have  no  doubt  that  both  our  reason 
and  our  amusement  will  receive  a  large  increase  from 
the  addition  of  your  society,  sir,"  returned  Mr.  Pith. — 
"  Do  us  the  favour  to  take  a  seat,  I  beg  of  you,  and 
rest  yourself." 

"  With  all  my  heart,  gentlemen ;  for,  to  own  the 
truth,  these  ladies  make  warm  work  about  a  stranger. 
I  have  just  got  out  of  what  I  call  a  category." 

"You  appear  to  have  escaped  with  life,  sir,"  ob 
served  Pindar,  taking  a  cool  survey  of  the  other's 
person. 

'•  Yes,  thank  God,  I  have  done  that,  and  it  is  pretty 
much  all,"  answered  the  captain,  wiping  his  face.  "  I 
served  in  the  French  war — Truxtun's  war,  as  we 
call  it — and  I  had  a  touch  with  the  English  in  the 
privateer  trade,  between  twelve  and  fifteen ;  and  here, 
quite  lately,  I  was  in  an  encounter  with  the  savage 
Arabs  down  on  the  coast  of  Africa ;  and  I  account 
them  all  as  so  much  snow-balling,  compared  with  the 
yard-arm  and  yard-arm  work  of  this  very  night.  I 
wonder  if  it  is  permitted  to  try  a  cigar  at  these  con 
versation-onies,  gentlemen  ?" 

"  I  believe  it  is,  sir,"  returned  Pindar,  coolly.  "  Shall 
I  help  you  to  a  light?" 

"  Oh !  Mr.  Truck !"  cried  Mrs.  Legend,  following 
the  chafed  animal  to  his  corner,  as  one  would  pursue 
any  other  runaway,  "  instinct  has  brought  you  into  this 
good  company.  You  are,  now,  in  the  very  focus  of 
American  talents." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  105 

"  Having  just  escaped  from  the  focus  of  American 
talons,"  whispered  Pith. 

"  I  must  be  permitted  to  introduce  you  myself.  Mr. 
Truck,  Mr.  Pindar — Mr.  Pith — Mr.  Gray — gentlemen, 
you  must  be  so  happy  to  be  acquainted,  being,  as  it 
were,  engaged  in  the  same  pursuits !" 

The  captain  rose  and  shook  each  of  the  gentlemen 
cordially  by  the  hand,  for  he  had,  at  least,  the  conso 
lation  of  a  great  many  introductions  that  night.  Mrs. 
Legend  disappeared  to  say  something  to  some  other 
prodigy. 

"  Happy  to  meet  you,  gentlemen,"  said  the  captain 
"  In  what  trade  do  you  sail  ?" 

"  By  whatever  name  we  may  call  it,"  answered  Mr. 
Pindar — "  we  can  scarcely  be  said  to  go  before  the 
wind." 

"  Not  in  the  Injee  business,  then,  or  the  monsoons 
would  keep  the  stun'sails  set,  at  least." 

"  No,  sir. — But  yonder  is  Mr.  Moccasin,  who  has 
lately  set  up,  secundum  artem,  in  the  Indian  business, 
having  written  two  novels  in  that  way  already,  and 
begun  a  third." 

"Are  you  all  regularly  employed,  gentlemen?" 

"  As  regularly  as  inspiration  points,"  said  Mr.  Pith. 
"  Men  of  our  occupation  must  make  fair  weather  of  it, 
or  we  had  better  be  doing  nothing." 

"  So  I  often  tell  my  owners,  but  '  go  ahead'  is  the 
order.  When  I  was  a  youngster,  a  ship  remained  in 
port  for  a  fair  wind ;  but,  now,  she  goes  to  work  and 
makes  one.  The  world  seems  to  get  young,  as  I  get 
old." 

"  This  is  a  rum  litterateur"  Gray  whispered  to  Pin 
dar. 

"  It  is  an  obvious  mystification,"  was  the  answer ; 
"  poor  Mrs.  Legend  has  picked  up  some  straggling 
porpoise,  and  converted  him,  by  a  touch  of  her  magi 
cal  wand,  into  a  Boanerges  of  literature.  The  thing 
is  as  clear  as  day,  for  the  worthy  fellow  smells  of  tar 


106  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

and  cigar  smoke.  I  perceive  that  Mr.  Effingham  is 
laughing  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eyes,  and  will  step 
across  the  room,  and  get  the  truth,  in  a  minute." 

The  rogue  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  was  soon 
back  again,  and  contrived  to  let  his  friends  understand 
the  real  state  of  the  case.  A  knowledge  of  the  cap 
tain's  true  character  encouraged  this  trio  in  the  be 
nevolent  purpose  of  aiding  the  honest  old  seaman  in  his 
wish  to  smoke,  and  Pith  managed  to  give  him  a  lighted 
paper,  without  becoming  an  open  accessary  to  the  plot. 

"  Will  you  take  a  cigar  yourself,  sir,"  said  the  cap 
tain,  offering  his  box  to  Mr.  Pindar. 

14 1  thank  you,  Mr.  Truck,  I  never  smoke,  but  am  a 
profound  admirer  of  the  flavour.  Let  me  entreat  you 
to  begin  as  soon  as  possible." 

Thus  encouraged,  Captain  Truck  drew  two  or  three 
whiffs,  when  the  rooms  were  immediately  filled  with 
the  fragrance  of  a  real  Havana.  At  the  first  dis 
covery,  the  whole  literary  pack  went  off  on  the  scent. 
As  for  Mr.  Fun,  he  managed  to  profit  by  the  agitation 
that  followed,  in  order  to  escape  to  the  three  wags  in 
the  corner,  who  were  enjoying  the  scene,  with  the 
gravity  of  so  many  dervishes. 

"As  I  live,"  cried  Lucius  Junius  Brutus,  "there  is 
the  author  of  a — a — a —  actually  smoking  a  cigar  !— 
How  excessively  p iquant!" 

"  Do  my  eyes  deceive  me,  or  is  not  that  the  writer 
of  e — e — e —  fumigating  us  all!"  whispered  Miss 
Annual. 

"  Nay,  this  cannot  certainly  be  right,"  put  in  Florio, 
with  a  dogmatical  manner.  "  Ah  the  periodicals 
agree  that  smoking  is  ungenteel  in  England." 

"  You  never  were  more  mistaken,  dear  Florio," 
replied  D.  O.  V.  E.  in  a  cooing  tone.  "  The  very  last 
novel  of  society  has  a  chapter  in  which  the  hero  and 
heroine  smoke  in  the  declaration  scene." 

"  Do  they,  indeed  ! — That  alters  the  case.  Really, 
one  would  not  wish  to  get  behind  so  great  a  nation, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  107 

nor  yet  go  much  before  it.  Pray,  Captain  Kant,  what 
do  your  friends  in  Canada  say ;  is,  or  is  not  smoking 
permitted  in  good  society  there  ?  the  Canadians  must, 
at  least,  be  ahead  of  us." 

"  Not  at  all,  sir,"  returned  the  editor  in  his  softest 
tones;  "it  is  revolutionary  and  Jacobinical." 

But  the  ladies  prevailed,  and,  by  a  process  that  is 
rather  peculiar  to  what  may  be  called  a  "  credulous" 
state  of  society,  they  carried  the  day.  This  process 
was  simply  to  make  one  fiction  authority  for  another. 
The  fact  that  smoking  was  now  carried  so  far  in 
England,  that  the  clergy  actually  used  cigars  in  the 
pulpits,  was  affirmed  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  Truck 
himself,  and,  coupled  with  his  present  occupation,  the 
point  was  deemed  to  be  settled.  Even  Florio  yielded, 
and  his  plastic  mind  soon  saw  a  thousand  beauties  in 
the  usage,  that  had  hitherto  escaped  it.  All  the  literati 
drew  round  the  captain  in  a  circle,  to  enjoy  the  spec 
tacle,  though  the  honest  old  mariner  contrived  to  throw 
out  such  volumes  of  vapour  as  to  keep  them  at  a  safe 
distance.  His  four  demure-looking  neighbours  got  be 
hind  the  barrier  of  smoke,  where  they  deemed  them 
selves  entrenched  against  the  assaults  of  sentimental 
petticoats,  for  a  time,  at  least. 

"  Pray,  Mr.  Truck,"  inquired  S.  R.  P.,  "  is  it  com 
monly  thought  in  the  English  literary  circles,  that 
Byron  was  a  developement  of  Shakspeare,  or  Shak- 
speare  a  shadowing  forth  of  Byron  ?" 

"Both,  marm,"  said  the  captain,  with  a  coolness 
that  would  have  done  credit  to  Aristabulus,  for  he  had 
been  fairly  badgered  into  impudence,  profiting  by  the 
occasion  to  knock  the  ashes  off  his  cigar;  "all  incline 
to  the  first  opinion,  and  most  to  the  last." 

"  What  finesse  !"  murmured  one.  "  How  delicate !" 
whispered  a  second.  "A  dignified  reserve!"  ejacu 
lated  a  third.  "  So  English  !"  exclaimed  Florio. 

'•  Do  you  think,  Mr.  Truck,"  asked  D.  O.  V.  E.. 
"  that  the  profane  songs  of  Little  have  more  pathos 


108 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


I 


than  the  sacred  songs  of  Moore ;  or  that  the  sacred 
songs  of  Moore  have  more  sentiment  than  the  profane 
songs  of  Little  V 

"  A  good  deal  of  both,  marm,  and  something  to 
spare.  I  think  there  is  little  in  one,  and  more  in  the 
other." 

"  Pray,  sir,"  said  J.  R.  P.,  «  do  you  pronounce  the 
name  of  Byron's  lady-love,  Guy-kee-oh-fy,  or,  Gwy- 
ky-o-/ee?" 

"  That  depends  on  how  the  wind  is.  If  on  shore,  I 
am  apt  to  say  « oh-lee;'  and  if  off  shore,  'oh-lie.' " 

That's  capital !"  cried  Florio,  in  an  extasy  of  ad 
miration.  "  What  man  in  this  country  could  have 
said  as  crack  a  thing  as  that?" 

"  Indeed  it  is  very  witty,"  added  Miss  Monthly— 
"what  does  it  mean?" 

"Mean!  More  than  is  seen  or  felt  by  common 
minds.  Ah  !  the  English  are  truly  a  great  nation ! — 
How  delightfully  he  smokes !" 

"  I  think  he  is  much  the  most  interesting  man  we 
have  had  out  here,"  observed  Miss  Annual,  "  since  the 
last  bust  of  Scott !" 

"  Ask  him,  dear  D.  O.  V.  E.,"  whispered  Julietta, 
who  was  timid,  from  the  circumstance  of  never  having 
published,  "  which  he  thinks  the  most  ecstatic  feeling, 
hope  or  despair  ?" 

The  question  was  put  by  the  more  experienced  lady, 
according  to  request,  though  she  first  said,  in  a  hurried 
tone,  to  her  youthful  sister — "you  can  have  felt  but 
little,  child,  or  you  would  know  that  it  is  despair,  as  a 
matter  of  course." 

The  honest  captain,  however,  did  not  treat  the  mat 
ter  so  lightly,  for  he  improved  the  opportunity  to  light 
a  fresh  cigar,  throwing  the  still  smoking  stump  into 
Mrs.  Legend's  grate,  through  a  lane  of  literati,  as  he 
afterwards  boasted,  as  coolly  as  he  could  have  thrown 
it  overboard,  under  other  circumstances.  Luckily  for 
his  reputation  for  sentiment,  he  mistook  "  ecstatic,"  a 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  109 

word  he  had  never  heard  before,  for  "  erratic ;"  and 
recollecting  sundry  roving  maniacs  that  he  had  seen, 
he  answered  promptly 

"  Despair,  out  and  out." 

"  I  knew  it,"  said  one. 

"  It's  in  nature,"  added  a  second. 

"  All  can  feel  its  truth,"  rejoined  a  third. 

"  This  point  may  now  be  set  down  as  established," 
cried  Florio,  "  and  I  hope  no  more  will  be  said  about 
it." 

"  This  is  encouragement  to  the  searchers  after  truth/' 
put  in  Captain  Kant. 

"  Pray,  Hon.  and  Rev.  Mr.  Truck,"  asked  Lucius 
Junius  Brutus,  at  the  joint  suggestion  of  Junius  Brutus 
and  Brutus,  "does  the  Princess  Victoria  smoke?" 

"  If  she  did  not,  sir,  where  would  be  the  use  in  being 
a  princess.  I  suppose  you  know  that  all  the  tobacco 
seized  in  England,  after  a  deduction  to  informers,  goes 
to  the  crown." 

"  I  object  to  this  usage,"  remarked  Captain  Kant, 
"  as  irreligious,  French,  and  tending  to  sans-culotteism. 
I  am  willing  to  admit  of  this  distinguished  instance  as 
an  exception ;  but  on  all  other  grounds,  I  shall  maintain 
that  it  savours  of  infidelity  to  smoke.  The  Prussian 
government,  much  the  best  of  our  times,  never  smokes." 

"This  man  thinks  he  has  a  monoply.of  the  puffing, 
himself,"  Pindar  whispered  into  the  captain's  ear; 
"  whiff  away,  my  dear  sir,  and  you  '11  soon  throw  him 
into  the  shade." 

The  captain  winked,  drew  out  his  box,  lighted  an 
other  cigar,  and,  by  way  of  reply  to  the  envious 
remark,  he  put  one  in  each  corner  of  his  mouth,  and 
soon  had  both  in  full  blast,  a  state  in  which  he  kept 
them  for  near  a  minute. 

"  This  is  the  very  picturesque  of  social  enjoyment," 
exclaimed  Florio,  holding  up  both  hands  in  a  glow  of 
rapture.     "It  is  absolutely  Homeric,  in  the  way  of 
usages  !     Ah  !  the  English  are  a  great  nation !" 
10 


110 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


"I  should  like  to  know  excessively  if  there  was 
really  such  a  person  as  Baron  Mun-chaw-sen?"  said 
Julietta,  gathering  courage  from  the  success  of  her 
last  question. 

"There  was,  Miss,"  returned  the  captain,  through 
his  teeth,  and  nodding  his  head  in  the  affirmative.  "A 
regular  traveller,  that;  and  one  who  knew  him  well 
swore  to  me  that  he  hadn't  related  one  half  of  what 
befel  him." 

"  How  very  delightful  to  learn  this  from  the  highest 
quarter !"  exclaimed  Miss  Monthly. 

"Is  Gafty  (Goethe)  really  dead?"  inquired  Lon- 
gmus,  "or,  is  the  account  we  have  had  to  that  effect, 
merely  a  metaphysical  apotheosis  of  his  mighty  soul  'I" 
''  Dead,  marm— stone  dead— dead  as  a  door-nail," 
returned  the  captain,  who  saw  a  relief  in  killing  as 
many  as  possible. 

"You  have  been  in  France,  Mr.  Truck,  beyond 
question?"  observed  Lucius  Junius  Brutus,  in  the 'way 
one  puts  a  question. 

"  France  !— I  was  in  France  before  I  was  ten  years 
old.  I  know  every  foot  of  the  coast,  from  Havre  de 
Grace  to  Marseilles." 

"  Will  you  then  have  the  goodness  to  explain  to  us 
whether  the  soul  of  Chat-to-bri-ong  is  more  expanded 
than  his  reason,  or  his  reason  more  expanded  than  his 
soul?" 

Captain  Truck  had  a  very  tolerable  notion  of  Baron 
Munchausen  and  of  his  particular  merits ;  but  Chateau- 
bnant  was  a  writer  of  whom  he  knew  nothing.  After 
pondering  a  moment,  and  feeling  persuaded  that  a 
confession  of  ignorance  might  undo  him  ;  for  the  old 
man  had  got  to  be  influenced  by  the  atmosphere  of  the 
place  ;  he  answered  coolly — 

"Oh!  Chat-to-bri-ong,  is  it  you  mean  ?— As  whole- 
souled  a  fellow  as  I  know.  All  soul,  sir,  and  lots  of  rea 
son,  besides." 

"  Tiow  simple  and  unaffected!" 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  Ill 

"  Crack !"  exclaimed  Florio. 

"  A  thorough  Jacobin  !"  growled  Captain  Kant,  who 
was  always  offended  when  any  one  but  himself  took 
liberties  with  the  truth. 

Here  the  four  wags  in  the  corner  observed  that  head 
went  to  head  in  the  crowd,  and  that  the  rear  rank  of 
the  company  began  to  disappear,  while  Mrs.  Legend 
was  in  evident  distress.  In  a  few  minutes,  all  the  Ro 
mans  were  off;  Florio  soon  after  vanished,  grating  his 
teeth  in  a  poetical  frenzy;  and  even  Captain  Kant, 
albeit  so  used  to  look  truth  in  the  face,  beat  a  retreat. 
The  alphabet  followed,  and  even  the  Annual  and  the 
Monthly  retired,  with  leave-takings  so  solemn  and  pre 
cise,  that  poor  Mrs.  Legend  was  in  total  despair. 

Eve,  foreseeing  something  unpleasant,  had  gone 
away  first,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  Mr.  Dodge,  who 
had  been  very  active  in  the  crowd,  whispering  and 
gesticulating,  made  his  bow  also.  The  envy  of  this 
man  had,  in  fact,  become  so  intolerable,  that  he  had 
let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag.  No  one  now  remained  but 
the  party  entrenched  behind  the  smoke,  and  the  mis 
tress  of  the  house.  Pindar  solemnly  proposed  to  the 
captain  that  they  should  go  and  enjoy  an  oyster- 
supper,  in  company ;  and,  the  proposal  being  cordially 
accepted,  they  rose  in  a  body,  to  take  leave. 

"  A  most  delightful  evening,  Mrs.  Legend,"  said  Pin 
dar,  with  perfect  truth,  "  much  the  pleasantest  I  ever 
passed  in  a  house,  where  one  passes  so  many  that  are 
agreeable." 

"  I  cannot  properly  express  my  thanks  for  the  obli 
gation  you  have  conferred  by  making  me  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Truck,"  added  Gray.  "  I  shall  cultivate  it 
as  far  as  in  my  power,  for  a  more  capital  fellow  never 
breathed." 

*«  Really,  Mrs.  Legend,  this  has  been  a  Byronic 
night !"  observed  Pith,  as  he  made  his  bow.  "  I  shall 
long  remember  it,  and  I  think  it  deserves  to  be  com 
memorated  in  verse  " 


112  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

Fun  endeavoured  to  look  sympathetic  and  senti 
mental,  though  the  spirit  within  could  scarcely  refrain 
from  grinning  in  Mrs.  Legend's  face.  He  stammered 
out  a  few  compliments,  however,  and  disappeared. 

"  WeM,  good  night,  rnarm,"  said  Captain  Truck, 
offering  his  hand  cordially.  "  This  has  been  a  plea 
sant  evening,  altogether,  though  it  was  warm  work  at 
first.  If  you  like  ships,  I  should  be  glad  to  show  you 
the  Montauk's  cabins  when  we  get  back ;  and  if  you 
ever  think  of  Europe,  let  me  recommend  the  London 
line  as  none  of  the  worst.  We'll  try  to  make  you 
comfortable,  and  trust  to  me  to  choose  a  state-room,  a 
thing  I  am  experienced  in." 

Not  one  of  the  wags  laughed  until  they  were  fairly 
confronted  with  the  oysters.  Then,  indeed,  they  burst 
out  into  a  general  and  long  fit  of  exuberant  merriment, 
returning  to  it,  between  the  courses  from  the  kitchen, 
like  the  refrain  of  a  song.  Captain  Truck,  who  was 
uncommonly  well  satisfied  with  himself,  did  not  under 
stand  the  meaning  of  all  this  boyishness,  but  he  has 
often  declared  since,  that  a  heartier  or  a  funnier  set  of 
fellows  he  never  fell  in  with,  than  his  four  companions 
proved  to  be  that  night. 

As  for  the  literary  soiree,  the  most  profound  silence 
has  been  maintained  concerning  it,  neither  of  the  wits 
there  assembled  having  seen  fit  to  celebrate  it  in  rhyme, 
and  Florio  having  actually  torn  up  an  impromptu  for 
the  occasion,  that  he  had  been  all  the  previous  aay 
writing. 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


There  is  a  history  in  all  men's  lives, 
Figuring  the  nature  of  the  times  deceased, 
The  which  observed,  a  man  may  prophesy 
With  a  near  aim,  of  the  main  chance  of  thing*, 

As  yet  not  come  to  life." 

}  KING  HENRY  VI. 


113 


THE  following  morning  the  baronet  breakfasted  in 
Hudson  Square.  While  at  table,  little  was  said  concern- 
ing  the  events  of  the  past  night,  though  sundry  smiles 
were  exchanged,  as  eye  met  eye,  and  the  recollection 
of  the  mystification  returned.  Grace  alone  looked 
grave,  for  she  had  been  accustomed  to  consider  Mrs. 
Legend  a  very  discriminating  person,  and  she  had  even 
hoped  that  most  of  those  who  usually  figured  in  her 
rooms,  were  really  the  clever  persons  they  laid  claim 
to  be. 

The  morning  was  devoted  to  looking  at  the  quarter 
of  the  town  which  is  devoted  to  business,  a  party  having 
been  made  for  that  express  purpose  under  the  auspices 
of  John  Effingham.  As  the  weather  was  very  cold, 
although  the  distances  were  not  great,  the  carriages 
were  ordered,  and  they  all  set  off  about  noon. 

Grace  had  given  up  expecting  a  look  of  admiration 
from  Eve  in  behalf  of  any  of  the  lions  of  New-York, 
her  cousin  having  found  it  necessary  to  tell  her,  that, 
in  a  comparative  sense  at  least,  little  was  to  be  said  in 
behalf  of  these  provincial  wonders.  Even  Mademoi 
selle  Viefville,  now  that  the  freshness  of  her  feelings 
were  abated,  had  dropped  quietly  down  into  a  natural 
way  of  speaking  of  these  things ;  and  Grace,  who  was 
quick-witted,  soon  discovered  that  when  she  did  make 
any  allusions  to  similar  objects  in  Europe,  it  was  al- 
wavs  to  those  that  existed  in  some  country  town.  A 
10* 


I 


114  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

silent  convention  existed,  therefore,  to  speak  no  more 
on  such  subjects ;  or  if  any  thing  was  said,  it  arose  in 
cidentally  and  as  inseparable  from  the  regular  thread 
of  the  discourse. 

When  in  Wall  street,  the  carriages  stopped  and  the 
gentlemen  alighted.  The  severity  of  the  weather  kept 
the  ladies  in  the  chariot,  where  Grace  endeavoured  to 
explain  things  as  well  as  she  could  to  her  companions. 

"  What  are  all  these  people  running  after,  so  intent 
ly  ?"  inquired  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  the  conversation 
being  in  French,  but  which  we  shall  render  freely  into 
English,  for  the  sake  of  the  general  reader. 

"  Dollars,  I  believe,  Mademoiselle ;  am  I  right, 
Grace?" 

"I  believe  you  are,"  returned  Grace,  laughing, 
"  though  I  know  little  more  of  this  part  of  the  town  than 
yourself." 

"  Quette  fouk !  Is  that  building  filled  with  dollars, 
into  which  the  gentlemen  are  now  entering  1  Its  steps 
are  crowded." 

"  That  is  the  Bourse,  Mademoiselle,  and  it  ought  to 
be  well  lined,  by  the  manner  in  which  some  who  fre 
quent  it  live.  Cousin  Jack  and  Sir  George  are  going 
into  the"  crowd,  I  see." 

We  will  leave  the  ladies  in  their  seats,  a  few  minutes, 
and  accompany  the  gentlemen  on  their  way  into  the 
Exchange. 

"  I  shall  now  show  you,  Sir  George  Templemore," 
said  John  Effingham,  "  what  is  peculiar  to  this  coun 
try,  and  what,  if  properly  improved,  it  is  truly  wortn 
a  journey  across  the  ocean  to  see.  You  have  been 
at  the  Royal  Exchange  in  London,  and  at  the  Bourse 
of  Paris,  but  you  have  never  witnessed  a  scene  like 
that  which  I  am  about  to  introduce  you  to.  In  Paris, 
you  have  beheld  the  unpleasant  spectacle  of  women 
gambling  publicly  in  the  funds  ;  but  it  was  in  driblets, 
compared  to  what  you  will  see  here." 

While  speaking,  John  Effingham  led  the  way  up 
stairs  into  the  office  of  one  of  the  most  considerable 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  115 

auctioneers.  The  walls  were  lined  with  maps,  some 
representing  houses,  some  lots,  some  streets,  some  en 
tire  towns. 

"  This  is  the  focus  of  what  Aristabulus  Bragg  calls 
the  town  trade,"  said  John  Effingham,  when  fairly  con 
fronted  with  all  these  wonders.  "  Here,  then,  you 
may  suit  yourself  with  any  species  of  real  estate  that 
heart  can  desire.  If  a  villa  is  wanted,  there  are  a 
dozen.  Of  farms,  a  hundred  are  in  market;  that  is 
merely  half-a-dozen  streets ;  and  here  are  towns,  of 
dimensions  and  value  to  suit  purchasers." 

"  Explain  this ;  it  exceeds  comprehension." 

"  It  is  simply  what  it  professes  to  be.  Mr.  Hammer, 
do  us  the  favour  to  step  this  way.  Are  you  selling  to 
day'/" 

"  Not  much,  sir.  Only  a  hundred  or  two  lots  on  this 
island,  and  some  six  or  eight  farms,  with  one  western 
village." 

"  Can  you  tell  us  the  history  of  this  particular  piece 
of  property,  Mr.  Hammer?" 

"With  great  pleasure,  Mr.  Effingham;  we  know 
you  to  have  means,  and  hope  you  may  be  induced  to 
purchase.  This  was  the  farm  of  old  Volkert  Van 
Brunt,  five  years  since,  off  of  which  he  and  his  family 
had  made  a  livelihood  for  more  than  a  century,  by 
selling  milk.  Two  years  since,  the  sons  sold  it  to  Pe 
ter  Feeler  for  a  hundred  an  acre ;  or  for  the  total  sum 
of  five  thousand  dollars.  The  next  spring  Mr.  Feeler 
sold  it  to  John  Search,  as  keen  a  one  as  we  have,  for 
twenty-five  thousand.  Search  sold  it,  at  private  sale, 
to  Nathan  Rise  for  fifty  thousand,  the  next  week,  and 
Rise  had  parted  with  it,  to  a  company,  before  the  pur 
chase,  for  a  hundred  and  twelve  thousand  cash.  The 
u>ap  ought  to  be  taken  down,  for  it  is  now  eight  months 
since  we  sold  it  out  in  lots,  at  auction,  for  the  gross 
sum  of  three  hundred  thousand  dollars.  As  we  have 
received  our  commission,  we  look  at  that  land  as  out 
of  the  market,  for  a  time." 


116  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  Have  you  other  property,  sir,  that  affords  the  same 
wonderful  history  of  a  rapid  advance  in  value?"  asked 
the  baronet. 

"  These  walls  are  covered  with  maps  of  estates  in 
the  same  predicament.  Some  have  risen  two  or  three 
thousand  per  cent,  within  five  years,  and  some  only  a 
few  hundred.  There  is  no  calculating  in  the  matter, 
for  it  is  all  fancy." 

"And  on  what  is  this  enormous  increase  in  value 
founded  ? — Does  the  town  extend  to  these  fields  ?" 

"  It  goes  much  farther,  sir ;  that  is  to  say,  on  paper. 
In  the  way  of  houses,  it  is  still  some  miles  short  of 
them.  A  good  deal  depends  on  what  you  call  a  thing, 
in  this  market.  Now,  if  old  Volkert  Van  Brunt's  pro 
perty  had  been  still  called  a  farm,  it  would  have  brought 
a  farm  price ;  but,  as  soon  as  it  was  surveyed  into  lots, 
and  mapped " 

"  Mapped !" 

"  Yes,  sir ;  brought  into  visible  lines,  with  feet  and 
inches.  As  soon  as  it  was  properly  mapped,  it  rose  to 
its  just  value.  We  have  a  good  deal  of  the  bottom  of 
the  sea  that  brings  fair  prices  in  consequence  of  being 
well  mapped." 

Here  the  gentlemen  expressed  their  sense  of  the 
auctioneer's  politeness,  and  retired. 

"  We  will  now  go  into  the  sales-room,"  said  John 
Effingham,  "where  you  shall  judge  of  the  spirit,  or 
energy r,  as  it  is  termed,  which,  at  this  moment,  actuates 
this  great  nation." 

Descending,  they  entered  a  crowd,  where  scores 
were  eagerly  bidding  against  each  other,  in  the  fearful 
delusion  of  growing  rich  by  pushing  a  fancied  value 
to  a  point  still  higher.  One  was  purchasing  ragged 
rocks,  another  the  bottom  of  rivers,  a  third  a  bog,  and 
all  on  the  credit  of  maps.  Our  two  observers  remain 
ed  some  time  silent,  spectators  of  the  scene. 

"  When  I  first  entered  that  room,"  said  John  Effing- 
ham,  as  they  left  the  place,  "  it  appeared  to  me  to  be 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  117 

filled  with  maniacs.  Now,  that  I  have  been  in  it  seve 
ral  times,  the  impression  is  not  much  altered." 

"  And  all  those  persons  are  hazarding  their  means 
of  subsistence  on  the  imaginary  estimate  mentioned  by 
the  auctioneer?" 

"  They  are  gambling  as  recklessly  as  he  who  places 
his  substance  on  the  cast  of  the  die.  So  completely 
has  the  mania  seized  every  one,  that  the  obvious  truth, 
a  truth  which  is.as  apparent  as  any  other  law  of  nature, 
that  nothing  can  be  sustained  without  a  foundation,  is 
completely  overlooked,  and  he  who  should  now  pro 
claim,  in  this  building,  principles  that  bitter  experience 
will  cause  every  man  to  feel,  within  the  next  few  years, 
would  be  happy  if  he  escaped  being  stoned.  I  have 
witnessed  many  similar  excesses  in  the  way  of  specu 
lations  ;  but  never  an  instance  as  gross,  as  wide-spread, 
and  as  alarming  as  this." 

"  You  apprehend  serious  consequences,  then,  from 
the  reaction  ?" 

"  In  that  particular,  we  are  better  off  than  dder  na 
tions,  the  youth  and  real  stamina  of  the  country  avert 
ing  much  of  the  danger ;  but  I  anticipate  a  terrible 
blow,  and  that  the  day  is  not  remote  when  this  town 
will  awake  to  a  sense  of  its  illusion.  What  you  see 
here  is  but  a  small  part  of  the  extravagance  that  exists, 
for  it  pervades  the  whole  community,  in  one  shape  or 
another.  Extravagant  issues  of  paper-money,  incon 
siderate  credits  that  commence  in  Europe,  and  extend 
throughout  the  land,  and  false  notions  as  to  the  value 
of  their  possessions,  in  men  who  five  years  since  had 
nothing,  has  completely  destroyed  the  usual  balance  of 
things,  and  money  has  got  to  be  so  completely  the  end 
of  life,  that  few  think  of  it  as  a  means.  The  history 
of  the  world,  probably,  cannot  furnish  a  parallel  in 
stance,  of  an  extensive  country  that  is  so  absolutely 
under  this  malign  influence,  as  is  the  fact  with  our  own 
at  this  present  instant.  All  principles  are  swallowed 
up  in  the  absorbing  desire  for  gain ;  national  honour, 


118  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

permanent  security,  the  ordinary  rules  of  society,  law, 
the  constitution,  and  every  thing  that  is  usually  so  dear 
to  men,  are  forgotten,  or  are  perverted,  in  order  to 
sustain  this  unnatural  condition  of  things." 

"  This  is  not  only  extraordinary,  but  it  is  fearful !" 

"  It  is  both.  The  entire  community  is  in  the  situa 
tion  of  a  man  who  is  in  the  incipient  stages  of  an  ex 
hilarating  intoxication,  and  who  keeps  pouring  down 
glass  after  glass,  in  the  idle  notion  that  he  is  merely 
sustaining  nature  in  her  ordinary  functions.  This 
wide-spread  infatuation  extends  from  the  coast  to  the 
extremest  frontiers  of  the  west ;  for,  while  there  is  a 
justifiable  foundation  for  a  good  deal  of  this  fancied 
prosperity,  the  true  is  so  interwoven  with  the  false,  that 
none  but  the  most  observant  can  draw  the  distinction , 
and,  as  usual,  the  false  predominates." 

"  By  your  account,  sir,  the  tulip  mania  of  Holland 
was  trifling  compared  to  this  ?' 

"  That  was  the  same  in  principle  as  our  own,  but 
insignificant  in  extent.  Could  I  lead  you  through  these 
streets,  and  let  you  into  the  secret  of  the  interests, 
hopes,  ijifatuatians  and  follies. that  prevail  in  the  human 
x  breast,  you,  as  a  calm  spectator,  wosld  be  astonished 
at  the  manner  in  which  your  own  species  can  be  de 
luded.  But  let  us  move,  and  something  may  still  occur 
to  offer  an  example." 

"  Mr.  Effingham — I  beg  pardon — Mr.  Effingham," 
said  a  very  gentlemanly-looking  merchant,  who  was 
walking  about  the  hall  of  the  exchange,  "  what  do 
you  think  now  of  our  French  quarrel  1" 

"  I  have  told  you,  Mr.  Bale,  all  I  have  to  say  on  that 
subject.  When  in  France,  I  wrote  you  that  it  was  not 
the  intention  of  the  French  government  to  comply  with 
the  treaty ;  you  have  since  seen  this  opinion  justified 
in  the  result ;  you  have  the  declaration  of  the  French 
minister  of  state,  that,  without  an  apology  from  this 
government,  the  money  will  not  be  paid ;  and  I  have 
given  it  as  my  opinion,  that  the  vane  on  yonder  steeple 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  119 

will  not  turn  more  readily  than  all  this  policy  will  be 
abandoned,  should  any  thing  occur  in  Europe  to  render 
it  necessary,  or  could  the  French  ministry  believe  it 
possible  for  this  country  to  fight  for  a  principle.  These 
are  my  opinions,  in  all  their  phases,  and  you  may  com 
pare  them  with  facts  and  judge  for  yourself." 

"  It  is  all  General  Jackson,  sir — all  that  monster's 
doings.  But  for  his  message,  Mr.  Effingham,  we  should 
have  had  the  money  long  ago." 

"  But  for  his  message,  or  some  equally  decided  step, 
Mr.  Bale,  you  would  never  have  it." 

"  Ah,  my  dear  sir,  I  know  your  intentions,  but  I  fear 
you  are  prejudiced  against  that  excellent  man,  the  King 
of  France !  Prejudice,  Mr.  Effingham,  is  a  sad  inno 
vator  on  justice." 

Here  Mr.  Bale  shook  his  head,  laughed,  and  disap 
peared  in  the  crowd,  perfectly  satisfied  that  John  Ef 
fingham  was  a  prejudiced  man,  and  that  he,  himself, 
was  only  liberal  and  just. 

"  Now,  that  is  a  man  who  wants  for  neither  abilities 
nor  honesty,  and  yet  he  permits  his  interests,  and  the 
influence  of  this  very  speculating  mania,  to  oversha 
dow  all  his  sense  of  right,  facts  plain  as  noon-day,  and 
the  only  principles  that  can  rule  a  country  in  safety." 

"He  apprehends  war,  and  has  no  desire  to  believe 
even  facts,  so  long  as  they  serve  to  increase  the  dan- 
ger." 

"  Precisely  so ;  for  even  prudence  gets  to  be  a  per 
verted  quality,  when  men  are  living  under  an  infatu 
ation  like  that  which  now  exists.  These  men  live  like 
the  fool  who  says  there  is  no  death." 

Here  the  gentlemen  rejoined  the  ladies,  and  the  car 
riages  drove  through  a  succession  of  narrow  and 
crooked  streets,  that  were  lined  with  warehouses  filled 
with  the  products  of  the  civilized  world. 

"  Very  much  of  all  this  is  a  part  of  the  same  la 
mentable  illusion,"  said  John  Effingham,  as  the  car 
riages  made  their  way  slowly  through  the  encumbered 


120  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

streets.  "  The  man  who  sells  his  inland  lots  at  a  profit, 
secured  by  credit,  fancies  himself  enriched,  and  he  ex 
tends  his  manner  of  living  in  proportion ;  the  boy  from 
the  country  becomes  a  merchant,  or  what  is  here  called 
a  merchant,  and  obtains  a  credit  in  Europe  a  hundred 
times  exceeding  his  means,  and  caters  to  these  fancied 
wants ;  and  thus  is  every  avenue  of  society  thronged 
with  adventurers,  the  ephemera  of  the  same  wide-spread 
spirit  of  reckless  folly.  Millions  in  value  pass  out  of 
these  streets,  that  go  to  feed  the  vanity  of  those  who 
fancy  themselves  wealthy,  because  they  hold  some 
ideal  pledges  for  the  payment  of  advances  in  price 
like  those  mentioned  by  the  auctioneer,  and  which 
have  some  such  security  for  the  eventual  payment,  as 
one  can  find  in  calling  a  thing,  that  is  really  worth  a 
dollar,  worth  a  hundred." 

"  Are  the  effects  of  this  state  of  things  apparent  in 
your  ordinary  associations  ?" 

"  In  everything.  The  desire  to  grow  suddenly  rich 
has  seized  on  all  classes.  Even  women  and  clergymen 
are  infected,  and  we  exist  under  the  active  control  of 
the  most  corrupting  of  all  influences — 'the  love  of 
money.'  I  should  despair  of  the  country  altogether, 
did  I  not  feel  certain  that  the  disease  is  too  violent  to 
last,  and  entertain  a  hope  that  the  season  of  calm  re 
flection  and  of  repentance,  that  is  to  follow,  will  be  in 
proportion  to  its  causes." 

After  taking  this  view  of  the  town,  the  party  re 
turned  to  Hudson  Square,  where  the  baronet  dined,  it 
being  his  intention  to  go  to  Washington  on  the  following 
day.  The  leave-taking  in  the  evening  was  kind  and 
friendly ;  Mr.  Effingham,  who  had  a  sincere  regard  for 
his  late  fellow-traveller,  cordially  inviting  him  to  visit 
him  in  the  mountains  in  June. 

As  Sir  George  took  his  leave,  the  bells  began  to  ring 
for  a  fire.  In  New-York  one  gets  so  accustomed  to 
these  alarms,  that  near  an  hour  had  passed  before  any 
of  the  Effingham  family  began  to  reflect  on  the  long 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  121 

continuance  of  the  cries.  A  servant  was  then  sent 
out  to  ascertain  the  reason,  and  his  report  made  the 
matter  more  serious  than  usual. 

We  believe  that  in  the  frequency  of  these  calami 
ties,  the  question  lies  between  Constantinople  and  New- 
York.  It  is  a  common  occurrence  for  twenty  or  thirty 
buildings  to  be  burnt  down,  in  the  latter  place,  and  for 
the  residents  of  the  same  ward  to  remain  in  ignorance 
of  the  circumstance,  until  enlightened  on  the  fact  by 
the  daily  prints;  the  constant  repetition  of  the  alarms 
hardening  the  ear  and  the  feelings  against  the  appeal. 
A  fire  of  greater  extent  than  common,  had  occurred 
only  a  night  or  two  previously  to  this ;  and  a  rumour 
now  prevailed,  that  the  severity  of  the  weather,  and 
the  condition  of  the  hoses  and  engines,  rendered  the 
present  danger  double.  On  hearing  this  intelligence, 
the  Messrs.  Effinghams  wrapped  themselves  up  in  their 
over-coats,  and  went  together  into  the  streets. 

"  This  seems  something  more  than  usual,  Ned,"  said 
John  Effingham,  glancing  his  eye  upward  at  the  lurid 
vault,  athwart  which  gleams  of  fiery  light  began  to 
shine;  "the  danger  is  not  distant,  and  it  seems  se 
rious.'* 

Following  the  direction  of  the  current,  they  soon 
found  the  scene  of  the  conflagration,  which  was  in  the 
very  heart  of  those  masses  of  warehouses,  or  stores, 
that  John  Effingham  had  commented  on,  so  lately.  A 
short  street  of  high  buildings  was  already  completely 
in  flames,  and  the  danger  of  approaching  the  enemy, 
added  to  the  frozen  condition  of  the  apparatus,  the 
exhaustion  of  the  firemen  from  their  previous  efforts, 
and  the  intense  coldness  of  the  night,  conspired  to 
make  the  aspect  of  things  in  the  highest  degree 
alarming. 

The  firemen  of  New-York   have  that   superiority 

over  those  of  other  places,  that  the  veteran  soldier 

obtains  over  the  recruit.     But  the  best  troops  can  be 

appalled,  and,  on  this  memorable  occasion,  these  cele- 

U 


122  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

brated  firemen,  from  a  variety  of  causes,  became  for  a 
time,  T.ttle  more  than  passive  spectators  of  the  terrible 
scene. 

There  was  an  hour  or  two  when  all  attempts  at 
checking  the  conflagration  seemed  really  hopeless,  and 
even  the  boldest  and  the  most  persevering  scarcely 
knew  which  way  to  turn,  to  be  useful.  A  failure  of 
water,  the  numerous  points  that  required  resistance, 
the  conflagration  extending  in  all  directions  from  a 
common  centre,  by  means  of  numberless  irregular  and 
narrow  streets,  and  the  impossibility  of  withstanding 
the  intense  heat,  in  the  choked  passages,  soon  added 
despair  to  the  other  horrors  of  the  scene. 

They  who  stood  the  fiery  masses,  were  freezing  on 
one  side  with  the  Greenland  cold  of  the  night,  while 
their  bodies  were  almost  blistered  with  the  fierce  flames 
on  the  other.  There  was  something  frightful  in  this 
contest  of  the  elements,  nature  appearing  to  condense 
the  heat  within  its  narrowest  possible  limits,  as  if  pur 
posely  to  increase  its  fierceness.  The  effects  were 
awful ;  for  entire  buildings  would  seem  to  dissolve  at 
their  touch,  as  the  forked  flames  enveloped  them  in 
sheets  of  fire. 

Every  one  being  afoot,  within  sound  of  the  alarm, 
though  all  the  more  vulgar  cries  had  ceased,  as  men 
would  deem  it  mockery  to  cry  murder  in  a  battle,  Sir 
George  Templemore  met  his  friends,  on  the  margin  of 
this  sea  of  fire.  It  was  now  drawing  towards  morn 
ing,  and  the  conflagration  was  at  its  height,  having 
already  laid  waste  a  nucleus  of  blocks,  and  it  was 
extending  by  many  lines,  in  every  possible  direction. 

"  Here  is  a  fearful  admonition  for  those  who  set 
their  hearts  on  riches,"  observed  Sir  George  Temple- 
more,  recalling  the  conversation  of  the  previous  day. 
"  What,  indeed,  are  the  designs  of  man,  as  compared 
wkh  the  will  of  Providence !" 

"  I  foresee  that  this  is  le  commencement  de  la  fin  n 
returned  John  Effingham.  "  The  destruction  is  already 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  123 

so  great,  as  to  threaten  to  bring  down  with  it  the  usual 
safe-guards  against  such  losses,  and  one  pin  knocked 
out  of  so  frail  and  delicate  a  fabric,  the  whole  will 
become  loose,  and  fall  to  pieces." 

"  Will  nothing  be  done  to  arrest  the  flames  ?" 

"  As  men  recover  from  the  panic,  their  plans  will 
improve  and  their  energies  will  revive.  The  wider 
streets  are  already  reducing  the  fire  within  more  cer 
tain  limits,  and  they  speak  of  a  favourable  change  of 
wind.  It  is  thought  five  hundred  buildings  have  already 
been  consumed,  in  scarcely  half  a  dozen  hours." 

That  Exchange,  which  had  so  lately  resembled  a 
bustling  temple  of  Mammon,  was  already  a  dark  and 
sheeted  ruin,  its  marble  walls  being  cracked,  defaced, 
tottering,  or  fallen.  It  lay  on  the  confines  of  the  ruin, 
and  our  party  was  enabled  to  take  their  position  near 
it,  to  observe  the  scene.  All  in  their  immediate  vicinity 
was  assuming  the  stillness  of  desolation,  while  the 
flushes  of  fierce  light  in  the  distance  marked  the  pro 
gress  of  the  conflagration.  Those  who  knew  the 
localities,  now  began  to  speak  of  the  natural  or  acci 
dental  barriers,  such  as  the  water,  the  slips,  and  the 
broader  streets,  as  the  only  probable  means  of  arrest 
ing  the  destruction.  The  crackling  of  the  flames  grew 
distant  fast,  and  the  cries  of  the  firemen  were  now 
scarcely  audible. 

At  this  period  in  the  frightful  scene,  a  party  of  sea 
men  arrived,  bearing  powder,  in  readiness  to  blow  up 
various  buildings,  in  the  streets  that  possessed  of  them 
selves,  no  sufficient  barriers  to  the  advance  of  the 
flame.  Led  by  their  officers,  these  gallant  fellows, 
carrying  in  their  arms  the  means  of  destruction,  moved 
up  steadily  to  the  verge  of  the  torrents  of  fire,  and 
planted  their  kegs  ;  laying  their  trains  with  the  hardy 
indifference  that  practice  can  alone  create,  and  with 
an  intelligence  that  did  infinite  credit  to  their  coolness. 
This  deliberate  courage  was  rewarded  with  complete 


124  HOME    AS    FOUND- 

success,  and  house  crumbled  to  pieces  after  house 
under  the  dull  explosions,  happily  without  an  accident. 

From  this  time  the  flames  became  less  ungovernable, 
though  the  day  dawned  and  advanced,  and  another 
night  succeeded,  before  they  could  be  said  to  be  got 
fairly  under,  Weeks,  and  even  months  passed,  how 
ever,  ere  the  smouldering  ruins  ceased  to  send  up 
smoke,  the  fierce  element  continuing  to  burn,  like  a 
slumbering  volcano,  as  it  might  be  in  the  bowels  of 
the  earth. 

The  day  that  succeeded  this  disaster,  was  memora 
ble  for  the  rebuke  it  gave  the  rapacious  longing  for 
wealth.  Men  who  had  set  their  hearts  on  gold,  and 
who  prided  themselves  on  their  possession,  and  on  that 
only,  were  made  to  feel  its  insanity ;  and  they  who  had 
walked  abroad  as  gods,  so  lately,  began  to  experience 
how  utterly  insignificant  are  the  merely  rich,  when 
stripped  of  their  possessions.  Eight  hundred  buildingst 
containing  fabrics  of  every  kind,  and  the  raw  material 
in  various  forms,  had  been  destroyed,  as  it  were  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye. 

A  faint  voice  was  heard  from  the  pulpit,  and  there 
was  a  moment  when  those  who  remembered  a  better 
state  of  things,  began  to  fancy  that  principles  would 
once  more  assert  their  ascendency,  and  that  the  com 
munity  would,  in  a  measure,  be  purified.  But  this  ex 
pectation  ended  in  disappointment,  the  infatuation  bein^r 
top  wide-spread  and  corrupting,  to  be  stopped  by  even 
this  check,  and  the  rebuke  was  reserved  for  a  form 
that  seems  to  depend  on  a  law  of  nature,  that  of 
causing  a  vice  to  bring  with  it  its  own  infallible  pun- 
ishment. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  125 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


"First,  tell  me,  have  you  ever  been  at  Pisa." 

SHAKSPEARE. 

THE  conflagration  alluded  to,  rather  than  described, 
in  the  proceeding  chapter,  threw  a  gloom  over  the 
gaieties  of  New- York,  if  that  ever  could  be  properly7 
called  gay,  which  was  little  more  than  a  strife  in  pro 
digality  and  parade,  and  leaves  us  little  more  to  say 
of  the  events  of  the  winter.  Eve  regretted  very  little 
the  interruption  to  scenes  in  which  she  had  found  no 
pleasure,  however  much  she  lamented  the  cause ;  and 
she  and  Grace  passed  the  remainder  of  the  season 
quietly,  cultivating  the  friendship  of  such  women  as 
Mrs.  Hawker  and  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  and  devoting  hours 
to  the  improvement  of  their  minds  and  tastes,  without 
ever  again  venturing  however,  within  the  hallowed 
precincts  of  such  rooms  as  those  of  Mrs.  Legend. 

One  consequence  of  a  state  of  rapacious  infatuation, 
like  that  which  we  have  just  related,  is  the  intensity 
of  selfishness  which  smothers  all  recollection  of  the 
past,  and  all  just  anticipations  of  the  future,  by  con 
densing  life,  with  its  motives  and  enjoyments,  into  the 
present  moment.  Captain  Truck,  therefore,  was  soon 
forgotten,  and  the  literati,  as  that  worthy  seaman  had 
termed  the  associates  of  Mrs.  Legend,  remained  just 
as  vapid,  as  conceited,  as  ignorant,  as  imitative,  as 
dependent,  and  as  provincial  as  ever. 

As  the  season  advanced,  our  heroine  began  to  look 
with  longings  towards  the  country.  The  town  life  of 
an  American  offers  little  to  one  accustomed  to  a  town 
life  in  older  and  more  permanently  regulated  commu 
nities  ;  and  Eve  was  already  heartily  weary  of  crowd 
ed  and  noisy  balls,  (for  a  few  were  still  given ;)  belles, 
the  struggles  of  an  uninstructed  taste,  and  a  represent- 
11* 


126  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

ation  in  which  extravagance  was  so  seldom  relieved 
by  the  elegance  and  convenience  of  a  condition  of 
society,  in  which  more  attention  is  paid  to  the  fitness 
of  things. 

The  American  spring  is  the  least  pleasant  of  its  four 
seasons,  its  character  being  truly  that  of  "  winter  lin 
gering  in  the  lap  of  May."  Mr.  Effingham,  who  the 
reader  will  probably  suspect,  by  this  time,  to  be  a  de 
scendant  of  a  family  of  the  same  name,  that  we  have 
had  occasion  to  introduce  into  another  work,  had  sent 
orders  to  have  his  country  residence  prepared  for  the 
reception  of  our  party ;  and  it  was  writh  a  feeling  of  de 
light  that  Eve  stepped  on  board  a  steam-boat  to  escape 
from  a  town  that,  while  it  contains  so  much  that  is 
worthy  of  any  capital,  contains  so  much  more  that  is 
unfit  for  any  place,  in  order  to  breathe  the  pure  air, 
and  to  enjoy  the  tranquil  pleasure  of  the  country.  Sir 
George  Templemore  had  returned  from  his  southern 
journey,  and  made  one  of  the  party,  by  express  ar 
rangement. 

"  Now,  Eve,"  said  Grace  Van  Cortlandt,  as  the  boat 
glided  along  the  wharves,  "  if  it  were  any  person  but 
you,  I  should  feel  confident  of  having  something  to 
show  that  would  extort  admiration." 

"  You  are  safe  enough,  in  that  respect,  for  a  more 
imposing  object  in  its  way,  than  this  very  vessel,  eye 
of  mine,  never  beheld.  It  is  positively  the  only  thing 
that  deserves  the  name  of  magnificent  I  have  yet 
seen,  since  our  return, — unless,  indeed,  it  may  be  mag 
nificent  projects." 

"  I  am  glad,  dear  coz,  there  is  this  one  magnificent 
object,  then,  to  satisfy  a  taste  so  fastidious." 

As  Grace's  little  foot  moved,  and  her  voice  betrayed 
vexation,  the  whole  party  smiled ;  for  the  whole  party, 
while  it  felt  the  justice  of  Eve's  observation,  saw  the 
real  feeling  that  was  at  the  bottom  of  her  cousin's  re 
mark.  Sir  George,  however,  though  he  could  not  con 
ceal  from  himself  the  truth  of  what  had  been  said  by 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  127 

the  one  party,  and  the  weakness  betrayed  by  the  other, 
had  too  much  sympathy  for  the  provincial  patriotism 
of  one  so  young  and  beautiful,  not  to  come  to  the  res 
cue. 

"  You  should  remember,  Miss  Van  Cortlandt,"  he 
said,  "that  Miss  Effingham  has  not  had  the  advantage 
yet  of  seeing  the  Delaware,  Philadelphia,  the  noble 
bays  of  the  south,  nor  so  much  that  is  to  be  found  out 
of  the  single  town  of  New- York." 

"  Very  true,  and  I  hope  yet  to  see  her  a  sincere  peni 
tent  for  all  her  unpatriotic  admissions  against  her  own 
country.  You  have  seen  the  Capitol,  Sir  George  Tem- 
plemore ;  is  it  not,  truly,  one  of  the  finest  edifices  of  the 
world?' 

"  You  will  except  St.  Peter's,  surely,  my  child,"  ob 
served  Mr.  Effingham,  smiling,  for  he  saw  that  the 
baronet  was  embarrassed  to  give  a  ready  answer. 
"  And  the  Cathedral  at  Milan,"  said  Eve,  laughing. 
"  Et  le  Louvre  /"  cried  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  who 
had  some  such  admiration  for  every  thing  Parisian, 
as  Eve  had  for  every  thing  American. 

"  And,  most  especially,  the  north-east  corner  of  the 
south-west  end  of  the  north-west  wing  of  Versailles," 
said  John  Effingham,  in  his  usual  dry  manner. 

"  I  see  you  are  all  against  me,"  Grace  rejoined, 
44  but  I  hope,  one  day,  to  be  able  to  ascertain  for  my 
self  the  comparative  merits  of  things.  As  nature  makes 
rivers,  I  hope  the  Hudson,  at  least,  will  not  be  found 
unworthy  of  your  admiration,  gentlemen  and  ladies." 

"  You  are  safe  enough,  there,  Grace,"  observed  Mr. 
Effingham ;  "  for  few  rivers,  perhaps  no  river,  offers  so 
great  and  so  pleasing  a  variety,  in  so  short  a  distance, 
as  this." 

It  was  a  lovely,  bland  morning,  in  the  last  week  of 
May ;  and  the  atmosphere  was  already  getting  the  soft 
hues  of  summer,  or  assuming  the  hazy  and  solemn  calm 
that  renders  the  season  so  quiet  and  soothing,  after  the 
fiercer  strife  of  the  elements.  Under  such  a  sky,  the 


128 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


Palisadoes,  in  particular,  appeared  well ;  for,  though 
wanting  in  the  terrific  grandeur  of  an  Alpine  nature, 
and  perhaps  disproportioned  to  the  scenery  they  adorn 
ed,  they  were  bold  and  peculiar. 

The  great  velocity  of  the  boat  added  to  the  charm 
of  the  passage,  the  scene  scarce  finding  time  to-  pall 
on  the  eye;  for,  no  sooner  was  one  object  examined 
in  its  outlines,  than  it  was  succeeded  by  another. 

"  An  extraordinary  taste  is  afflicting  this  country,  in 
the  way  of  architecture,"  said  Mr.  Effingham,  as  they 
stood  gazing  at  the  eastern  shore ;  "  nothing  but  a  Gre 
cian  temple  being  now  deemed  a  suitable  residence 
for  a  man,  in  these  classical  times.  Yonder  is  a  struc 
ture,  for  instance,  of  beautiful  proportions,  and,  at  this 
distance,  apparently  of  a  precious  material,  and  yet  it 
seems  better  suited  to  heathen  worship  than  to  domes 
tic  comfort." 

"The  malady  has  infected  the  whole  nation,"  re 
turned  his  cousin,  "  like  the  spirit  of  speculation.  We 
are  passing  from  one  extreme  to  the  other,  in  this,  as 
in  other  things.  One  such  temple,  well  placed  in  a 
wood,  might  be  a  pleasant  object  enough,  but  to  see  a 
river  lined  with  them,  with  children  trundling  hoops 
before  their  doors,  beef  carried  into  their  kitchens,  and 
smoke  issuing,  moreover,  from  those  unclassical  ob 
jects  chimnies,  is  too  much  even  of  a  high  taste ;  one 
might  as  well  live  in  a  fever.  Mr.  Aristabulus  Bragg, 
who  is  a  wag  in  his  way,  informs  me  that  there  is  one 
town  in  the  interior  that  has  actually  a  market-house 
on  the  plan  of  the  Parthenon !" 

"  n  Capo  di  Bove  would  be  a  more  suitable  model 
for  such  a  structure,"  said  Eve,  smiling.  "  But  I  think 
I  have  heard  that  the  classical  taste  of  our  architects 
is  any  thing  but  rigid." 

"  This  was  the  case,  rather  than  is,"  returned  John 
Effingham,  "  as  witness  all  these  temples.  The  coun 
try  has  made  a  quick  and  a  great  pas,  en  avant,  in  the 
way  of  the  fine  arts,  and  the  fact  shows  what  might 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  129 

be  done  with  so  ready  a  people,  under  a  suitable  direc 
tion.  The  stranger  who  comes  among  us  is  apt  to 
hold  the  art  of  the  nation  cheap,  but,  as  all  things  are 
comparative,  let  him  inquire  into  its  state  ten  years 
since,  and  look  at  it  to-day.  The  fault  just  now,  is 
perhaps  to  consult  the  books  too  rigidly,  and  to  trust 
too  little  to  invention ;  for  no  architecture,  and  espe 
cially  no  domestic  architecture,  can  ever  be  above  seri 
ous  reproach,  until  climate,  the  uses  of  the  edifice,  and 
the  situation,  are  respected  as  leading  considerations. 
Nothing  can  be  uglier,  per  se,  than  a  Swiss  cottage,  or 
any  thing  more  beautiful  under  its  precise  circum 
stances.  As  regards  these  mushroom  temples,  which 
are  the  offspring  of  Mammon,  let  them  be  dedicated 
to  whom  they  may,  I  should  exactly  reverse  the  opi 
nion,  and  say,  that  while  nothing  can  be  much  more 
beautiful,  per  se,  nothing  can  be  in  worse  taste,  than  to 
put  them  where  they  are." 

"  We  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  what  Mr. 
John  Effingham  can  do  in  the  way  of  architecture," 
said  Grace,  who  loved  to  revenge  some  of  her  fancied 
wrongs,  by  turning  the  tables  on  her  assailant,  "  for  I 
understand  he  has  been  improving  on  the  original 
labours  of  that  notorious  Palladio,  Master  Hiram  Doo- 
little !" 

The  whole  party  laughed,  and  every  eye  was  turned 
on  the  gentleman  alluded  to,  expecting  his  answer. 

"  You  will  remember,  good  people,"  answered  the 
accused  by  implication,  "  that  my  plans  were  handed 
over  to  me  from  my  great  predecessor,  and  that  they 
were  originally  of  the  composite  order.  If,  therefore, 
the  house  should  turn  out  to  be  a  little  complex  and 
mixed,  you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  remember  this 
important  fact.  At  all  events,  I  have  consulted  com 
fort;  and  that  I  would  maintain,  in  the  face  of  Vitru- 
vius  himself,  is  a  sine  qua  non  in  domestic  architec 
ture." 

"  I  took  a  run  into  Connecticut  the  other  day,"  said 


130  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

Sir  George  Templemore,  "  and,  at  a  place  called  Ne\v 
Haven,  I  saw  the  commencement  of  a  taste  that  bids 
fair  to  make  a  most  remarkable  town.  It  is  true,  you 
cannot  expect  structures  of  much  pretension  in  the 
way  of  cost  and  magnitude  in  this  country,  but,  so  far 
as  fitness  and  forms  are  concerned,  if  what  I  hear  be 
true,  and  the  next  fifty  years  do  as  much  in  proportion 
for  that  little  city,  as  I  understand  has  been  done  in  the 
last  five,  it  will  be  altogether  a  wonder  in  its  way. 
There  are  some  abortions,  it  is  true,  but  there  are  also 
some  little  jewels." 

The  baronet  was  rewarded  for  this  opinion,  by  a 
smile  from  Grace,  and  the  conversation  changed.  As 
the  boat  approached  the  mountains,  Eve  became  ex 
cited,  a  very  American  state  of  the  system  by  the  way, 
and  Grace  still  more  anxious. 

"  The  view  of  that  bluff  is  Italian ;"  said  our  hero 
ine,  pointing  down  the  river  at  a  noble  headland  of 
rock,  that  loomed  grandly  in  the  soft  haze  of  the  tran 
quil  atmosphere.  "  One  seldom  sees  a  finer  or  a  softer 
outline  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  itself." 

"But  the  Highlands,  Eve!"  whispered  the  uneasy 
Grace.  "  We  are  entering  the  mountains." 

The  river  narrowed  suddenly,  and  the  scenery  be 
came  bolder,  but  neither  Eve  nor  her  father  expressed 
the  rapture  that  Grace  expected. 

"  I  must  confess,  Jack,"  said  the  mild,  thoughtful  Mr. 
Effingham,  "  that  these  rocks  strike  my  eyes  as  much 
less  imposing  than  formerly.  The  passage  is  fine,  be 
yond  question,  but  it  is  hardly  grand  scenery." 

"  You  never  uttered  a  juster  opinion,  Ned,  though 
after  your  eye  loses  some  of  the  forms  of  the  Swfss 
and  Italian  lakes,  and  of  the  shores  of  Italy,  you  will 
think  better  of  these.  The  Highlands  are  remark 
able  for  their  surprises,  rather  than  for  their  grandeur, 
as  we  shall  presently  see.  As  to  the  latter,  it  is  an 
affair  of  feet  and  inches,  and  is  capable  of  arithmetical 
demonstration.  We  have  often  been  on  lakes,  beneath 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  131 

beetling  cliffs  of  from  three  to  six  thousand  feet  in 
height ;  whereas,  here,  the  greatest  elevation  is  mate 
rially  less  than  two.  But,  Sir  George  Ternplemore, 
and  you,  Miss  Effingham,  do  me  the  favour  to  com 
bine  your  cunning,  and  tell  me  whence  this  stream 
cometh,  and  whither  we  are  to  go  ?" 

The  boat  had  now  approached  a  point  where  the 
river  was  narrowed  to  a  width  not  much  exceeding  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  and  in  the  direction  in  which  it  was 
steering,  the  water  seemed  to  become  still  more  con 
tracted  until  they  were  lost  in  a  sort  of  bay,  that  ap 
peared  to  be  closed  by  high  hills,  through  which,  how 
ever,  there  were  traces  of  something  like  a  passage. 

"  The  land  in  that  direction  looks  as  if  it  had  a  ra 
vine-like  entrance,"  said  the  baronet ;  "  and  yet  it  is 
scarcely  possible  that  a  stream  like  this  can  flow 
there !" 

"  If  the  Hudson  truly  passes  through  those  moun 
tains,"  said  Eve,  "  I  will  concede  all  in  its  favour  that 
you  can  ask,  Grace." 

"  Where  else  can  it  pass  ?"  demanded  Grace,  exult- 
ingly. 

"  Sure  enough — I  see  no  other  place,  and  that  seems 
insufficient." 

The  two  strangers  to  the  river  now  looked  curiously 
around  them,  in  every  direction.  Behind  them  was  a 
broad  and  lake-like  basin,  through  which  they  had  just 
passed ;  on  the  left,  a  barrier  of  precipitous  hills,  the 
elevation  of  which  was  scarcely  less  than  a  thousand 
feet ;  on  their  right,  a  high  but  broken  country,  studded 
with  villas,  farm-houses,  and  hamlets;  and  in  their 
front  the  deep  but  equivocal  bay  mentioned. 

"  I  see  no  escape  !"  cried  the  baronet,  gaily,  "  unless 
indeed,  it  be  by  returning." 

A  sudden  and  broad  sheer  of  the  boat  caused  him 
to  turn  to  the  left,  and  then  they  whirled  round  an 
angle  of  the  precipice,  and  found  themselves  in  a  reach 
of  the  river,  between  steep  declivities,  running  at  right 
angles  to  their  former  course. 


I 


132  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  This  is  one  of  the  surprises  of  which  I  spoke,* 
said  John  Effingham,  "  and  which  render  the  highlands 
so  unique ;  for,  while  the  Rhine  is  very  sinuous,  it  has 
nothing  like  this." 

The  other  travellers  agreed  in  extolling  this  and 
many  similar  features  of  the  scenery,  and  Grace  was 
delighted;  for,  warm-hearted,  affectionate,  and  true, 
Grace  loved  her  country  like  a  relative  or  a  friend, 
and  took  an  honest  pride  in  hearing  its  praises.  The 
patriotism  of  Eve,  if  a  word  of  a  meaning  so  lofty 
can  be  applied  to  feelings  of  this  nature,  was  more 
discriminating  from  necessity,  her  tastes  having  been 
formed  in  a  higher  school,  and  her  means  of  compari 
son  being  so  much  more  ample.  At  West  Point  they 
stopped  for  the  night,  and  here  every  body  was  in 
honest  raptures;  Grace,  who  had  often  visited  the 
place  before,  being  actually  the  least  so  of  the  whole 
party. 

"  Now,  Eve,  I  know  that  you  do  love  your  country," 
she  said,  as  she  slipped  an  arm  affectionately  through 
that  of  her  cousin.  "  This  is  feeling  and  speaking  like 
an  American  girl,  and  as  Eve  Effingham  should !" 

Eve  laughed,  but  she  had  discovered  that  the  pro 
vincial  feeling  was  so  strong  in  Grace,  that  its  discus 
sion  would  probably  do  no  good.  She  dwelt,  there 
fore,  with  sincere  eloquence  on  the  beauties  of  the 
place,  and  for  the  first  time  since  they  had  met,  her 
cousin  felt  as  if  there  was  no  longer  any  point  of  dis 
sension  between  them. 

The  following  morning  wras  the  first  of  June,  and  it 
was  another  of  those  drowsy,  dreamy  days,  that  so 
much  aid  a  landscape.  The  party  embarked  in  the 
first  boat  that  came  up,  and  as  they  entered  Newburgh 
bay,  the  triumph  of  the  river  was  established.  This  is 
a  spot,  in  sooth,  that  has  few  equals  in  any  region; 
though  Eve  still  insisted  that  the  excellence  of  the 
view  was  in  its  softness  rather  than  in  its  grandeur, 
The  country-houses,  or  boxes,  for  few  could  claim  to 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  133 

bo  much  more,  were  neat,  well  placed,  and  exceedingly 
numerous.  The  heights  around  the  town  of  Newburgh, 
in  particular,  were  fairly  dotted  with  them,  though  Mr. 
Effingharn  shook  his  head  as  he  saw  one  Grecian  tem 
ple  appear  after  another. 

"  As  we  recede  from  the  influence  of  the  vulgar 
architects,"  he  said,  "  we  find  imitation  taking  the 
place  of  instruction.  -Many  of  these  buildings  are 
obviously  disproportioned,  and  then,  like  vulgar  pre 
tension  of  any  sort,  Grecian  architecture  produces  less 
pleasure  than  even  Dutch." 

"  I  am  surprised  at  discovering  how  little  of  a  Dutch 
character  remains  in  this  state,"  said  the  baronet ;  "  1 
can  scarcely  trace  that  people  in  any  thing,  and  yet,  I 
believe,  they  had  the  moulding  of  your  society,  having 
carried  the  colony  through  its  infancy." 

"  When  you  know  us  better,  you  will  be  surprised 
at  discovering  how  little  of  any  thing  remains  a 
dozen  years,"  returned  John  Effingham.  "  Our  towns 
pass  away  in  generations  like  their  people,  and  even 
the  names  of  a  place  undergo  periodical  mutations,  as 
well  as  every,  thing  else.  It  is  getting  to  be  a  pre 
dominant  feeling  in  the  American  nature,  I  fear,  to 
love  change." 

"  But,  cousin  Jack,  do  you  not  overlook  causes,  in 
your  censure.  That  a  nation  advancing  as  fast  as  this 
in  wealth  and  numbers,  should  desire  better  structures 
than  its  fathers  had  either  the  means  or  the  taste  to 
build,  and  that  names  should  change  with  persons,  are 
both  things  quite  in  rule." 

"  All  very  true,  though  it  does  not  account  for  the 
peculiarity  I  mean.  Take  Templeton,  for  instance  ; 
this  little  place  has  not  essentially  increased  in  num- 
oers,  within  my  memory,  and  yet  fully  one-half  its 
names  are  new.  When  he  reaches  his  own  home,  youi 
father  will  not  know  even  the  names  of  one-half  his 
neighbours.  Not  only  will  he  meet  with  new  faces, 
but  he  will  find  new  feelings,  new  opinions  in  the  place 
12 


134  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

of  traditions  that  he  may  love,  an  indifference  to  every 
thing  but  the  present  moment,  and  even  those  who  may 
have  better  feelings,  and  a  wish  to  cherish  all  that  be 
longs  to  the  holier  sentiments  of  man,  afraid  to  uttei 
them,  lest  they  meet  with  no  sympathy." 

"  No  cats,  as  Mr.  Bragg  would  say." 

"  Jack  is  one  who  never  paints  en  beau"  said  Mr. 
Effingham.  "  I  should  be  very  sorry  to  believe  that  a 
dozen  short  years  can  have  made  all  these  essential 
changes  in  my  neighbourhood." 

"  A  dozen  years,  Ned  !  You  name  an  age.  Speak 
of  three  or  four,  if  you  wish  to  find  any  thing  in 
America  where  you  left  it!  The  whole  country  is  in 
such  a  constant  state  of  mutation,  that  I  can  only 
liken  it  to  that  game  of  children,  in  which  as  one  quits 
his  corner,  another  runs  into  it,  and  he  that  finds  no 
corner  to  get  into,  is  the  laughing-stock  of  the  others. 
Fancy  that  dwelling  the  residence  of  one  man  from 
childhood  to  old  age ;  let  him  then  quit  it  for  a  year 
or  two,  and  on  his  return  he  would  find  another  in 
possession,  who  would  treat  him  as  an  impertinent 
intruder,  because  he  had  been  absent  two  years.  An 
American  *  always,'  in  the  way  of  usages,  extends  no 
further  back  than  eighteen  months.  In  short,  every 
thing  is  condensed  into  the  present  moment ;  and  ser 
vices,  character,  for  evil  as  well  as  good  unhappily, 
and  all  other  things,  cease  to  have  weight,  except  as 
they  influence  the  interests  of  the  day." 

"  This  is  the  colouring  of  a  professed  cynic,"  ob 
served  Mr.  Effingham,  smiling. 

"  But  the  law,  Mr.  John  Effingham,"  eagerly  in 
quired  the  baronet — "  surely  the  law  would  not  permit 
a  stranger  to  intrude  in  this  manner  on  the  rights  of 
an  owner." 

"  The  \3iw-books  would  do  him  that  friendly  office, 
perhaps,  but  what  is  a  precept  in  the  face  of  practices 
so  ruthless.  lLes  absents  ont  toujours  tort,1  is  a  maxim 
of  peculiar  application  in  America." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  135 

"Property  is  as  secure  in  this* country  as  in  any 
other,  Sir  George ;  and  you  will  make  allowances  for 
the  humours  of  the  present  annotator." 

"  Well,  well,  Ned  ;  I  hope  you  will  find  every  thing 
couleur  de  rose,  as  you  appear  to  expect.  You  will  get 
quiet  possession  of  your  house,  it  is  true,  for  I  have 
put  a  Cerberus  in  it,  that  is  quite  equal  to  his  task, 
difficult  as  it  may  be,  and  who  has  quite  as  much 
relish  for  a  bill  of  costs,  as  any  squatter  can  have  for 
a  trespass ;  but  without  some  such  guardian  of  your 
rights,  I  would  not  answer  for  it,  that  you  would*  not 
be  compelled  to  sleep  in  the  high-way." 

"  I  trust  Sir  George  Templemore  kno\vs  how  to 
make  allowances  for  Mr.  John  Effingham's  pictures," 
cried  Grace,  unable  to  refrain  from  expressing  her 
discontent  any  longer. 

A  laugh  succeeded,  and  the  beauties  of  the  river  again 
attracted  their  attention.  As  the  boat  continued  to  as 
cend,  Mr.  Effingham  triumphantly  affirmed  that  the 
appearance  of  things  more  than  equalled  his  expecta 
tions,  while  both  Eve  and  the  baronet  declared  that  a 
succession  of  lovelier  landscapes  could  hardly  be  pre 
sented  to  the  eye. 

"  Whited  sepulchres  !"  muttered  John  Effingham — 
"  all  outside.  Wait  until  you  get  a  view  of  the  de 
formity  within." 

As  the  boat  approached  Albany,  Eve  expressed  her 
satisfaction  in  still  stronger  terms ;  and  Grace  was 
made  perfectly  happy,  by  hearing  her  and  Sir  George 
declare  that  the  place  entirely  exceeded  their  expecta 
tions. 

"  I  am  glad  to  find,  Eve,  that  you  are  so  fast  recover 
ing  your  American  feelings,"  said  her  beautiful  cousin, 
after  one  of  those  expressions  of  agreeable  disappoint 
ment,  as  they  were  seated  at  a  late  dinner,  in  an  inn. 
"  You  have  at  last  found  words  to  praise  the  exterior 
of  Albany ;  and  I  hope,  by  the  time  we  return,  you 
will  be  disposed  to  see  New-York  with  different  eyes  " 


136  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

• 

"  1  expected  to  see  a  capital  in  New-York,  Grace, 
and  in  this  I  have  been  grievously  disappointed.  In 
stead  of  finding  the  tastes,  tone,  conveniences,  archi 
tecture,  streets,  churches,  shops,  and  society  of  a  capi 
tal,  I  found  a  huge  expansion  of  common-place  things, 
a  commercial  town,  and  the  most  mixed  and  the  least 
regulated  society,  that  I  had  ever  met  with.  Expect 
ing  so  much,  where  so  little  was  found,  disappointment 
was  natural.  But  in  Albany,  although  a  political  capi 
tal,  I  knew  the  nature  of  the  government  too  well,  to 
expect  more  than  a  provincial  town;  and  in  this 
respect,  1  have  found  one  much  above  the  level  of 
similar  places  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  I  acknow 
ledge  that  Albany  has  as  much  exceeded  my  expecta 
tions  in  one  sense,  as  New- York  has  fallen  short  of 
them  in  another." 

"  In  this  simple  fact,  Sir  George  Templemorc,"  said 
Mr.  Effingham,  "  you  may  read  the  real  condition  of 
the  country.  In  all  that  requires  something  more  than 
usual,  a  deficiency;  in  all  that  is  deemed  an  average, 
better  than  common.  The  tendency  is  to  raise  every 
thing  that  is  elsewhere  degraded  to  a  respectable 
height,  when  there  commences  an  attraction  of  gravi 
tation  that  draws  all  towards  the  centre ;  a  little  closer 
too,  than  could  be  wished  perhaps." 

"  Ay,  ay,  Ned ;  this  is  very  pretty,  with  your  attrac 
tions  and  gravitations ;  but  wait  and  judge  for  your 
self  of  this  average,  of  which  you  now  speak  so  com 
placently. 

"  Nay,  John,  I  borrowed  the  image  from  you ;  if  il 
be  not  accurate,  I  shall  hold  you  responsible  for  its 
defects." 

"  They  tell  me,"  said  Eve,  "  that  all  American  vil 
lages  are  the  towns  in  miniature;  children  dressed  in 
hoops  and  wigs.  Is  this  so,  Grace?" 

"A  little;  there  is  too  much  desire  to  rnitate  the 
towns,  perhaps,  and  possibly  too  litilc  feeling  f>r  coun 
try  life." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  137 

"  This  is  a  very  natural  consequence,  after  all,  of 
people's  living  entirely  in  such  places,"  observed  Sir 
George  Templcmore.  "  One  sees  much  of  this  on  the 
continent  of  Europe,  because  the  country  population 
is  purely  a  country  population ;  and  less  of  it  in  Eng 
land,  perhaps,  because  those  who  are  at  the  head  of 
society,  consider  town  and  country  as  very  distinct 
things." 

"La  campagne  est  vraiment  delicieuse  en  Jime- 
rique,"  exclaimed  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  in  whose 
eyes  the  whole  country  was  little  more  than  campagne. 

The  next  morning,  our  travellers  proceeded  by  the 
way  of  Schenectady,  whence  they  ascended  the  beau 
tiful  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  by  means  of  a  canal-boat, 
the  cars  that  now  rattle  along  its  length  not  having 
commenced  their  active  flights,  at  that  time.  ^With  the 
scenery,  every  one  was  delighted ;  for  while  it  differed 
essentially  from  that  the  party  had  passed  through  the 
previous  day,  it  was  scarcely  less  beautiful. 

At  a  point  where  the  necessary  route  diverged  from 
the  direction  of  the  canal,  carriages  of  Mr.  Effing- 
ham's  were  in  readiness  to  receive  the  travellers,  and 
here  they  were  also  favoured  by  the  presence  of  Mr. 
Bragg,  who  fancied  such  an  attention  might  be  agree 
able  to  the  young  ladies,  as  well  as  to  his  employer. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


'•Tell  me,  where  is  fancy  bred — 
Or  in  the  heart,  or  in  the  head  ? 
How  begot,  how  nourished  ?" 

SONG  IN  SHAKSPEARE. 


THE  travellers  were  several  hours  ascending  into  the 
mountains,  by  a  country  road  that  could  scarcely  be 
surpassed  by  a  French  wheel-track  of  the  same  sort, 
12* 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


138 

for  Mademo.selle  Viefville  protested,  twenty  times  in 
the  course  of  the  morning,  that  it  was  a  thousand  pities 
Mr.  Effingham  had  not  the  privilege  of  the  corvee,  that 
he  might  cause  the  approach  to  his  terres  to  be  kept  in 
better  condition.  At  length  they  reached  the  summit, 
a  point  where  the  waters  began  to  flow  south,  when 
the  road  became  tolerably  level.  From  this  time  their 
progress  became  more  rapid,  and  they  continued  to 
advance  two  or  three  hours  longer  at  a  steady  pace. 

Aristabulus  now  informed  his  companions  that,  in 
obedience  to  instructions  from  John  Effingham,  he  had 
ordered  the  coachmen  to  take  a  road  that  led  a  little 
from  the  direct  line  of  their  journey,  and  that  they  had 
now  been  travelling  for  some  time  on  the  more  ancient 
route  to  Templeton. 

"  I  was  aware  of  this,"  said  Mr.  Effingham,  "  though 
ignorant  of  the  reason.  We  are  on  the  great  western 
turnpike." 

"  Certainly,  sir,  and  all  according  to  Mr.  John's  re 
quest.  There  would  have  been  a  great  saving  in  dis 
tance,  and  agreeably  to  my  notion,  in  horse-flesh,  had 
we  quietly  gone  down  the  banks  of  the  lake." 

"  Jack  will  explain  his  own  meaning,"  returned  Mr, 
Effingham,  "  and  he  has  stopped  the  other  carriage, 
and  alighted  with  Sir  George, — a  hint,  I  fancy,  that  we 
are  to  follow  their  example." 

Sure  enough,  the  second  carriage  was  now  stopped, 
and  Sir  George  hastened  to  open  its  door. 

"  Mr.  John  Effingham,  who  acts  as  cicerone,"  cried 
the  baronet,  "  insists  that  every  one  shall  put  pied  & 
terre  at  this  precise  spot,  keeping  the  important  reason 
still  a  secret,  in  the  recesses  of  his  own  bosom." 

The  ladies  complied,  and  the  carriages  were  ordered 
to  proceed  with  the  domestics,  leaving  the  rest  of  the 
travellers  by  themselves,  apparently  in  the  heart  of  a 
forest. 

^  "  It  is  to  be  hoped,  Mademoiselle,  there  are  no  ban 
ditti  in  America,"  said  Eve,  as  they  looked  around 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  139 

them  at  the  novel  situation  in  which  they  were  placed, 
apparently  by  a  pure  caprice  of  her  cousin. 

"  Ou  des  sauuages"  returned  the  governess,  who,  in 
spito  of  her  ordinary  intelligence  and  great  good  sense, 
had  several  times  that  day  cast  uneasy  and  stolen 
glances  into  the  bits  of  dark  wood  they  had  occasion 
ally  passed. 

"I  will  ensure  your  purses  and  your  scalps,  mes- 
dames"  cried  John  Effingham  gaily,  "on  condition 
that  you  will  follow  me  implicitly;  and  by  way  of 
pledge  for  my  faith,  I  solicit  the  honour  of  supporting 
Mademoiselle  Viefville  on  this  unworthy  arm." 

The  governess  laughingly  accepted  the  conditions, 
Eve  took  the  arm  of  her  father,  and  Sir  George  offered 
his  to  Grace ;  Aristabulus,  to  his  surprise,  being  left  to 
walk  entirely  alone.  It  struck  him,  however,  as  so  sin 
gularly  improper  that  a  young  lady  should  be  supported 
on  such  an  occasion  by  her  own  father,  that  he  frankly 
and  gallantly  proposed  to  Mr.  Effingham  to  relieve 
him  of  his  burthen,  an  offer  that  was  declined  with 
quite  as  much  distinctness  as  it  was  made. 

"  I  suppose  cousin  Jack  has  a  meaning  to  his  melo 
drama,"  said  Eve,  as  they  entered  the  forest, "and  I 
dare  say,  dearest  father,  that  you  are  behind  the  scenes, 
though  I  perceive  determined  secrecy  in  your  face." 

"John  may  have  a  cave  to  show  us,  or  some  tree  of 
extraordinary  height ;  such  things  existing  in  the 
country." 

"  We  are  very  confiding,  Mademoiselle,  for  I  detect 
treachery  in  every  face  around  us.  Even  Miss  Van 
Cortlandt  has  the  air  of  a  conspirator,  and  seems  to  be 
in  league  with  something  or  somebody.  Pray  Heaven, 
it  be  not  with  wolves." 

"Des  loups<"  exclaimed  Mademoiselle  Viefville, 
stopping  short,  with  a  mien  so  alarmed  as  to  excite  a 
general  laugh — "  est  ce  qu'il  y  a  des  loups  et  des  san- 
gliers  dans  cette  foret?" 

"  No,  Mademoiselle,"  returned  her  companion — "this 


140  HOME    AS    POUND. 

is  only  barbarous  America,  and  not  civilized  France. 
Were  we  in  h  departemcnt  de  la  Seine,  we  might  ap 
prehend  some  such  dangers,  but  being  merely  in  the 
mountains  of  Otsego,  we  are  reasonably  safe." 

"  Je  I'espere"  murmured  the  governess,  as  she  re 
luctantly  and  distrustfully  proceeded,  glancing  her 
eyes  incessantly  to  the  right,  and  left.  The  path  now 
became  steep  and  rather  difficult ;  so  much  so,  indeed, 
as  to  indispose  them  all  to  conversation.  It  led  be 
neath  the  branches  of  lofty  pines,  though  there  existed, 
on  every  side  of  them,  proofs  of  the  ravages  man  had 
committed  in  that  noble  forest.  At  length  they  were 
compelled  to  stop  for  breath,  after  having  ascended 
considerably  above  the  road  they  had  left. 

"  I  ought  to  have  said  that  the  spot  where  we  entered 
on  this  path,  is  memorable  in  the  family  history,"  ob 
served  John  Effingham,  to  Eve — "  for  it  was  the  pre 
cise  spot  where  one  of  our  predecessors  lodged  a  shot 
in  the  shoulder  of  another." 

"  Then  I  know  precisely  where  we  are !"  cried  our 
heroine,  "  though  I  cannot  yet  imagine  why  we  are  led 
into  this  forest,  unless  it  be  to  visit  some  spot  hallowed 
by  a  deed  of  Natty  Bumppo's !" 

"  Time  will  solve  this  mystery,  as  well  as  all  others. 
Let  us  proceed." 

Again  they  ascended,  and,  after  a  few  more  minutes 
of  trial,  they  reached  a  sort  of  table-land,  and  drew 
near  an  opening  in  the  trees,  where  a  small  circle  had 
evidently  been  cleared  of  its  wood,  though  it  was 
quite  small  and  untilled.  Eve  looked  curiously  about 
her,  as  did  all  the  others  to  whom  the  place  was  novel, 
and  she  was  lost  in  doubt. 

"  There  seems  to  be  a  void  beyond  us,"  said  the 
baronet — "  I  rather  think  Mr.  John  Effingham  has  led 
us  to  the  verge  of  a  view." 

At  this  suggestion  the  party  moved  on  in  a  body, 
and  were  well  rewarded  for  the  toil  of  the  ascent,  by  a 
coup  d'asil  that  was  almost  Swiss  in  character  and 
beauty. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  141 

"  Now  do  I  know  where  we  are,"  exclaimed  Eve, 
clasping  her  hands  in  rapture — "  this  is  the  '  Vision,' 
and  yonder,  indeed,  is  our  blessed  home !" 

The  whoie  artifice  of  the  surprise  was  exposed,  ana 
after  the  first  bursts  of  pleasure  had  subsided,  all  to 
whom  the  scene  was  novel  felt,  that  they  would  not 
have  missed  this  piquante  introduction  to  the  valley  of 
the  Susquehannah,  on  any  account.  That  the  reader 
may  understand  the  cause  of  so  much  delight,  and 
why  John  Effingham  had  prepared  this  scene  for  his 
friends,  we  shall  stop  to  give  a  short  description  of  the 
objects  that  first  met  the  eyes  of  the  travellers. 

It  is  known  that  they  were  in  a  small  open  spot  in  a 
forest,  and  on  the  verge  of  a  precipitous  mountain. 
The  trees  encircled  them  on  every  side  but  one,  and 
on  that  lay  the  panorama,  although  the  tops  of  tall 
pines,  that  grew  in  lines  almost  parallel  to  the  declivity, 
rose  nearly  to  a  level  with  the  eye.  Hundreds  of  feet 
beneath  them,  directly  in  front,  and  stretching  leagues 
to  the  right,  was  a  lake  embedded  in  woods  and  hills. 
On  the  side  next  the  travellers,  a  fringe  of  forest  broke 
the  line  of  water ;  tree  tops  that  intercepted  the  view 
of  the  shores ;  and  on  the  other,  high  broken  hills,  or 
low  mountains  rather,  that  were  covered  with  farms, 
beautifully  relieved  by  patches  of  wood,  in  a  way  to 
resemble  the  scenery  of  a  vast  park,  or  a  royal  plea 
sure  ground,  limited  the  landscape.  High  valleys  lay 
among  these  uplands,  and  in  every  direction  comforta 
ble  dwellings  dotted  the  fields.  The  contrast  between 
the  dark  hues  of  the  evergreens,  with  which  all  the 
heights  near  the  water  were  shaded,  was  in  soft  con 
trast  to  the  livelier  green  of  the  other  foliage,  while  the 
meadows  and  pastures  were  luxuriant  with  a  verdure 
unsurpassed  by  that  of  England.  Bays  and  points 
added  to  the  exquisite  outline  of  the  glassy  lake  on  this 
shore,  while  one  of  the  former  withdrew  towards  the 
north-west,  in  a  way  to  leave  the  eye  doubtful  whether 
it  was  the  termination  of  the  transparent  sheet  or  not, 


142  HOME    AS    TOUND. 

Towards  the  south,  bold,  varied,  but  cultivated  hiiis, 
also  bounded  the  view,  all  teeraing  with  the  fruits  of 
human  labour,  and  yet  all  relieved  by  pieces  of  wood, 
in  the  way  already  mentioned,  so  as  to  give  the  entire 
region  the  character  of  park  scenery.  A  wide,  deep, 
even  valley,  commenced  at  the  southern  end  of  the 
lake,  or  nearlv  opposite  to  the  stand  of  our  travellers, 
and  stretched  away  south,  until  concealed  by  a  curva 
ture  in  the  ranges  of  the  mountains.  Like  all  the 
mountain-tops,  this  valley  was  verdant,  peopled,  wood 
ed  in  places,  though  less  abundantly  than  the  hills,  and 
teeming  with  the  signs  of  life.  Roads  wound  through 
its  peaceful  retreats,  and  might  be  traced  working  their 
way  along  the  glens,  and  up  the  weary  ascents  of  the 
mountains,  for  miles,  in  every  direction. 

At  the  northern  termination  of  this  lovely  valley, 
and  immediately  on  the  margin  of  the  lake,  lay  the 
village  of  Ternpleton,  immediately  under  the  eyes  of 
the  party.  The  distance,  in  an  air  line,  from  their 
stand  to  the  centre  of  the  dwellings,  could  not  be  much 
less  than  a  mile,  but  the  air  was  so  pure,  and  the  day 
so  calm,  that  it  did  not  seem  so  far.  The  children  an'd 
even  the  dogs  were  seen  running  about  the  streets, 
while  the  shrill  cries  of  boys  at  their  gambols,  ascend 
ed  distinctly  to  the  ear. 

As  this  was  the  Templeton  of  the  Pioneers,  and  the 
progress  of  society  during  half  a  century  is  connected 
with  the  circumstance,  we  shall  give  the  reader  a  more 
accurate  notion  of  its  present  state,  than  can  be  ob 
tained  from  incidental  allusions.  We  undertake  the 
office  more  readily  because  this  is  not  one  of  those 
places  that  shoot  up  in  a  day,  under  the  unnatural 
efforts  of  speculation,  or  which,  favoured  by  peculiar 
advantages  in  the  way  of  trade,  becomes  a  precocious 
city,  while  the  stumps  still  stand  in  its  streets ;  but  a 
sober  county  town,  that  has  advanced  steadily,  part 
passu  with  the  surrounding  country,  and  offers  a  fair 
specimen  of  the  more  regular  advancement  of  tho 
whole  nation,  in  its  progress  towards  civilization. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  143 

The  appearance  of  Templeton,  as  seen  from  the 
height  where  it  is  now  exhibited  to  the  reader,  was  ge 
nerally  beautiful  and  map-like.  There  might  be  a  do 
zen  streets,  principally  crossing  each  other  at  right- 
angles,  though  sufficiently  relieved  from  this  precise 
delineation,  to  prevent  a  starched  formality.  Perhaps 
the  greater  part  of  the  buildings  were  painted  white,  as 
is  usual  in  the  smaller  American  towns  ;  though  a  better 
taste  was  growing  in  the  place,  and  many  of  the  dwell 
ings  had  the  graver  and  chaster  hues  of  the  grey 
stones  of  which  they  were  built.  A  general  air  of 
neatness  and  comfort  pervaded  the  place,  it  being  as 
unlike  a  continental  European  town,  south  of  the  Rhine, 
in  this  respect,  as  possible,  if  indeed  we  except  the  pic 
turesque  bourgs  of  Switzerland.  In  England,  Temple- 
ton  would  be  termed  a  small  market-town,  so  far  as 
size  was  concerned;  in  France,  a  large  bourg ;  while 
in  America  it  was,  in  common  parlance,  and  legal  ap 
pellation,  styled  a  village. 

Of  the  dwellings  of  the  place,  fully  twenty  were  of 
a  quality  that  denoted  ease  in  the  condition  of  their  oc 
cupants,  and  bespoke  the  habits  of  those  accustomed 
to  live  in  a  manner  superior  to  the  oi  polJoi  of  the  hu 
man  race.  Of  these,  some  six  or  eight  had  small  lawns, 
carriage  sweeps,  and  the  other  similar  appliances  of 
houses  that  were  not  deemed  unworthy  of  the  honour 
of  bearing  names  of  their  own.  No  less  than  five  lit 
tle  steeples,  towers,  or  belfries,  for  neither  word  is  ex 
actly  suitable  to  the  architectural  prodigies  we  wish  to 
describe,  rose  above  the  roofs,  denoting  the  sites  of  the 
same  number  of  places  of  worship;  an  American  vii 
lage  usually  exhibiting  as  many  of  these  proofs  of  lib 
erty  of  conscience — caprices  of  conscience  would  per 
haps  be  a  better  term — as  dollars  and  cents  will  by 
any  process  render  attainable.  Several  light  carriages, 
such  as  were  suitable  to  a  mountainous  country,  were 
passing  to  and  fro  in  the  streets ;  and,  here  and  there. 
a  single-horse  vehicle  was  fastened  before  the  door  of 


144  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

a  shop,  or  a  lawyer's  office,  denoting  the  presence  of 
some  customer,  or  client,  from  among  the  adjacent 
hills. 

Templeton  was  not  sufficiently  a  thoroughfare  to 
possess  one  of  those  monstrosities,  a  modern  American 
tavern,  or  a  structure  whose  roof  should  overtop  that 
of  all  its  neighbours.  Still  its  inns  were  of  respectaole 
size,  well  piazzaed,  to  use  a  word  of  our  own  inven 
tion,  and  quite  enough  frequented. 

Near  the  centre  of  the  place,  in  grounds  of  rather 
limited  extent,  still  stood  that  model  of  the  composite 
order,  which  owed  its  existence  to  the  combined  know 
ledge  and  taste,  in  the  remoter  ages  of  the  region,  of 
Mr.  Richard  Jones  and  Mr.  Hiram  Doolittle.  We 
will  not  say  that  it  had  been  modernized,  for  the  very 
reverse  was  the  effect,  in  appearance  at  least ;  but,  it 
had  since  undergone  material  changes,  under  the  more 
instructed  intelligence  of  John  Effingham. 

This  building  was  so  conspicuous  by  position  and 
size,  that  as  soon  as  they  had  taken  in  glimpses  of  the 
entire  landscape,  which  was  not  done  without  constant 
murmurs  of  pleasure,  every  eye  became  fastened  on  it, 
as  the  focus  of  interest.  A  long  and  common  silence 
denoted  how  general  was  this  feeling,  and  the  whole 
party  took  seats  on  stumps  and  fallen  trees  before  a 
syllable  was  uttered,  after  the  building  had  attracted 
their  gaze.  Aristabulus  alone  permitted  his  look  to 
wander,  and  he  was  curiously  examining  the  counte 
nance  of  Mr.  Effingham,  near  whom  he  sate,  with  a 
longing  to  discover  whether  the  expression  was  that  of 
approbation,  or  of  disapprobation,  of  the  fruits  of  his 
cousin's  genius. 

"  Mr.  John  Effingham  has  considerably  regenerated 
and  revivified,  not  to  say  transmogrified,  the  old  dwell 
ing,"  he  said,  cautiously  using  terms  that  might  leave 
his  own  opinion  of  the  changes  doubtful.  "  The 
work  of  his  hand  has  excited  some  speculation, 
a  good  deal  of  inquiry,  and  a  little  conversation, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  145 

throughout  the  country.     It  has  almost  produced  an 
excitement !" 

"  As  my  house  came  to  me  from  my  father,"  said 
Mr.  Effingham,  across  whose  mild  and  handsome  face 
a  smile  was  gradually  stealing,  "  I  knew  its  history, 
and  when  called  on  for  an  explanation  of  its  singulari 
ties,  could  refer  all  to  the  composite  order.  But,  you, 
Jack,  have  supplanted  all  this,  by  a  style  of  your  own, 
for  which  I  shall  be  compelled  to  consult  the  authori 
ties  for  explanations." 

"  Do  you  dislike  my  taste,  Ned  1 — To  my  eye,  now, 
the  structure  has  no  bad  appearance  from  this  spot !" 

"Fitness  and  comfort  are  indispensable  requisites 
for  domestic  architecture,  to  use  your  own  argument. 
Are  you  quite  sure  that  yonder  castellated  roof,  for  in 
stance,  is  quite  suited  to  the  deep  snows  of  these  moun 
tains?" 

John  Effingham  whistled,  and  endeavoured  to  look 
unconcerned,  for  he  well  knew  that  the  very  first  win 
ter  had  demonstrated  the  unsuitableness  of  hisjfems 
for  such  a  climate.  He  had  actually  felt  disposed  to 
cause  the  whole  to  be  altered  privately,  at  his  own  ex 
pense  ;  but,  besides  feeling  certain  his  cousin  would 
resent  a  liberty  that  inferred  his  indisposition  to 
pay  for  his  own  buildings,  he  had  a  reluctance  to  ad 
mit,  in  the  face  of  the  whole  country,  that  he  had  made 
so  capital  a  mistake,  in  a  branch  of  art  in  which  he 
prided  himself  rather  more  than  common ;  almost  as 
much  as  his  predecessor  in  the  occupation,  Mr.  Rich 
ard  Jones. 

"  If  you  are  not  pleased  with  your  own  dwelling, 
Ned,"  he  answered,  "  you  can  have,  at  least,  the  con 
solation  of  looking  at  some  of  your  neighbours'  houses, 
and  of  perceiving  that  they  are  a  great  deal  worse  off. 
Of  all  abortions  of  this  sort,  to  my  taste,  a  Grecian 
abortion  is  the  \vorst — mine  is  only  Gothic,  and  that 
too,  in  a  style  so  modest,  that  I  should  think  it  might 
pass  unmolested." 
13 


140  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

It  was  so  unusual  to  see  John  Effingham  on  the  de 
fensive,  that  the  whole  party  smiled,  while  Aristabulus, 
who  stood  in  salutary  fear  of  his  caustic  tongue,  both 
smiled  and  wondered. 

"  Nay,  do  not  mistake  me,  John,"  returned  the  pro 
prietor  of  the  edifice  under  discussion — "  it  is  not  your 
taste  that  I  call  in  question,  but  your  provision  against 
the  season's.  In  the  way  of  mere  outward  show,  I  really 
think  you  deserve  high  praise,  for  you  have  trans 
formed  a  very  ugly  dwelling  into  one  that  is  almost 
handsome,  in  despite  of  proportions  and  the  necessity 
of  regulating  the  alterations  by  prescribed  limits.  Still, 
I  think,  there  is  a  little  of  the  composite  left  about 
even  the  exterior." 

"  I  hope,  cousin  Jack,  you  have  not  innovated  on  the 
interior,"  cried  Eve;  "for  I  think  I  shall  remember 
that,  and  nothing  is  more  pleasant  than  the  cattism  of 
seeing  objects  that  you  remember  in  childhood — plea 
sant,  I  mean,  to  those  whom  the  mania  of  mutation  has 
fected." 

not  be  alarmed,  Miss  Effingham,"  replied  her 
kinsman,  with  a  pettishness  of  manner  that  was  alto 
gether  extraordinary,  in  a  man  whose  mien,  in  com 
mon,  was  so  singularly  composed  and  masculine ; 
"  you  will  find  all  that  you  knew,  when  a  kitten,  in  its 
proper  place.  I  could  not  rake  together,  again,  the 
ashes  of  Queen  Dido,  which  were  scattered  to  the  four 
winds  of  Heaven,  I  fear ;  nor  could  I  discover  a  rea 
sonably  good  bust  of  Homer ;  but  respectable  substi 
tutes  are  provided,  and  some  of  them  have  the  great 
merit  of  puzzling  all  beholders  to  tell  to  whom  they 
belong,  which  I  believe  was  the  great  characteristic 
of  most  of  Mr.  Jones's  invention." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see,  cousin  Jack,  that  you  have,  at 
least,  managed  to  give  a  very  respectable  'cloud- 
colour'  to  the  whole  house." 

"  Ay,  it  lay  between  that  and  an  invisible  green," 
the  gentleman  answered,  losing  his  momentary  spleen 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  147 

in  his  natural  love  of  the  ludicrous — "  but  finding  that 
the  latter  would  be  only  too  conspicuous  in  the 
droughts  that  sometimes  prevail  in  this  climate,  I 
settled  down  into  the  yellowish  drab,  that  is,  indeed, 
not  unlike  some  of  the  richer  volumes  of  the  clouds." 

"  On  the  whole,  I  think  you  are  fairly  entitled,  as 
Steadfast  Dodge,  Esquire,  would  say,  to  *  the  meed  of 
our  thanks/  " 

"  What  a  lovely  spot !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Effingham, 
who  had  already  ceased  to  think  of  his  own  dwelling, 
and  whose  eye  was  roaming  over  the  soft  landscape, 
athwart  which  the  lustre  of  a  June  noontide  was 
throwing  its  richest  glories.  "  This  is  truly  a  place 
where  one  might  fancy  repose  and  content  were  to  be 
found  for  the  evening  of  a  troubled  life." 

"Indeed,  I  have  seldom  looked  upon  a  more  be 
witching  scene,"  answered  the  baronet.  "  The  lakes 
of  Cumberland  will  scarce  compete  with  this !" 

"  Or  that  of  Brienz,  or  Lungeren,  or  Nemi,"  said 
Eve,  smiling  in  a  way  that  the  other  understoo^Lbe 
a  hit  at  his  nationality. 

"  C'est  charmant!"  murmured  Mademoiselle  Vief- 
ville.  "  On  pense  it  reternite,  dans  une  telle  calme  /" 

"  The  farm  you  can  see  lying  near  yonder  wood, 
Mr.  Effingham,"  coolly  observed  Aristabulus,  "  sold 
last  spring  for  thirty  dollars  the  acre,  and  was  bought 
for  twenty,  the  summer  before !" 

"  Chacun  &  son  gout  /"  said  Eve. 

"  And  yet,  I  fear,  this  glorious  scene  is  marred  by 
the  envy,  rapacity,  uncharitableness,  and  all  the  other 
evil  passions  of  man !"  continued  the  more  philosophi 
cal  Mr.  Effingham.  "  Perhaps,  it  were  better  as  it  was 
so  lately,  when  it  lay  in  the  solitude  and  peace  of  the 
wilderness,  the  resort  of  birds  and  beasts." 

*'  Who  prey  on  each  other,  dearest  father,  just  as 
the  worst  of  our  own  species  prey  on  their  fellows." 

"  True,  child — true.  And  yet,  I  never  gaze  on  one 
of  these  scenes  of  holy  calm,  without  wishing  that  the 


148  HOME    AS    FOUND 

great  tabernacle  of  nature  might  be  tenanted  only  by 
those  who  have  a  feeling  for  its  perfection." 

"Do  you  see  the  lady,"  said  Aristabulus,  "that  is 
just  coming  out  on  the  lawn,  in  front  of  the  'Wig 
wam  V  "  for  that  was  the  name  John  Effingham  had 
seen  fit  to  give  the  altered  and  amended  abode. 
"  Here,  Miss  Effingham,  more  in  a  line  with  the  top 
of  the  pine  beneath  us." 

"  I  see  the  person  you  mean ;  she  seems  to  be  look 
ing  in  this  direction."" 

"  You  are  quite  right,  miss ;  she  knows  that  we  are 
to  stop  on  the  Vision,  and  no  doubt  sees  us.  That  lady 
is-^ou?  father's  cook,  Miss  Effingham,  and  is  thinking 
of  the  late  breakfast  that  has  been  ordered  to  be  in 
readiness  against  our  arrival." 

Eve  concealed  her  amusement,  for,  by  this  time, 
she  had  discovered  that  Mr.  Bragg  had  a  way  peculiar 
to  himself,  or  at  least  to  his  class,  of  using  many  of  the 
commoner  words  of  the  English  language.  It  would 
pe^hps  be  expecting  too  much  of  Sir  George  Tem- 
plenrore,  not  to  expect  him  to  smile,  on  such  an  occa 
sion. 

"  Ah !"  *exclaimed  Aristabulus,  pointing  towards  the 
lake,  across  which  several  skiffs  were  stealing,  some  in 
one  direction,  and  some  in  another,  "  there  is  a  boat 
out,  that  I  think  must  contain  the  poet." 

"Poet!"  repeated  John  Effingham.  "Have  we 
reached  that  pass  at  Templeton  ?" 

"  Lord,  Mr.  John  Effingham,  you  must  have  very 
contracted  notions  of  the  place,  if  you  think  a  poet  a 
great  novelty  in  it.  Why,  sir,  we  have  caravans  of 
wild  beasts,  nearly  every  summer!" 

"  This  is,  indeed,  a  step  in  advance,  of  which  I  was 
ignorant.  Here  then,  in  a  region,  that  so  lately  was 
tenanted  by  beasts  of  prey,  beasts  are  already  brought 
as  curiosities.  You  perceive  the  state  of  the  country  iu 
this  fact,  Sir  George  Templemore." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  149 

"  I  do  indeed ;  but  I  should  like  to  hear  from  Mr. 
Bragg,  what  sort  of  animals  are  in  these  caravans?" 

"  All  sorts,  from  monkeys  to  elephants.  The  last 
had  a  rhinoceros." 

"  Rhinoceros ! — Why  there  was  but  one,  lately,  in 
all  Europe.  Neither  the  Zoological  Gardens,  nor  the 
Jardin  des  Plantes,  had  a  rhinoceros!  I  never  saw 
but  one,  and  that  was  in  a  caravan  at  Rome,  that 
travelled  between  St.  Petersburgh  and  Naples." 

"  Well,  sir,  we  have  rhinoceroses  here ; — and  mon 
keys,  and  zebras,  and  poets,  and  painters,  and  congress 
men,  and  bishops,  and  governors,  and  all  other  sorts 
of  creatures." 

"  And  who  may  the  particular  poet  be,  Mr.  Bragg," 
Eve  asked,"  who  honours  Templeton,  with  his  presence 
just  at  this  moment'?" 

"  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you,  miss,  for,  though 
some  eight  or  ten  of  us  have  done  little  else  than  try  to 
discover  his  name  for  the  last  week,  we  have  not  got 
even  as  far  as  that  one  fact.  He  and  the  gentleman 
who  travels  with  him,  are  both  uncommonly  close  on 
such  matters,  though  I  think  we  have  sotoe  as  good 
catechisers  in  Templeton,  as  can  be  found-  any  where 
within  fifty  miles  of  us  !" 

"There  is  another  gentleman  with  him — do  yoi 
suspect  them  both  of  being  poets  ?" 

"  Oh,  no,  Miss,  the  other  is  the  waiter  of  the  poet ; 
that  we  know,  as  he  serves  him  at  dinner,  and  other 
wise  superintends  his  concerns ;  such  as  brushing  his 
clothes,  and  keeping  his  room  in  order." 

"  This  is  being  in  luck  for  a  poet,  for  they  are  of  a 
class  that  are  a  little  apt  to  neglect  the  decencies.  May 
I  ask  why  you  suspect  the  master  of  being  a  poet,  if 
the  man  be  so  assiduous  ?" 

^  "  Why,  what  else  can  he  be?  In  the  first  place,  Miss 
Effingham,  he  has  no  name." 

"  That  is  a  reason  in  point,"  said  John  Effingham ; 
*'  very  few  poets  having  names." 
13* 


150  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  Then  he  is  out  on  the  lake  half  his  time,  gazing 
up  at  the  'Silent  Pine,'  or  conversing  with  the  « Speak 
ing  Rocks,'  or  drinking  at  the  '  Fairy  Spring.' " 

"  All  suspicious,  certainly ;  especially  the  dialogue 
with  the  rocks ;  though  not  absolutely  conclusive." 

"  But,  Mr.  John  Effingham,  the  man  does  not  take 
his  food  like  other  people.  He  rises  early,  and  is  out 
on  the  water,  or  up  in  the  forest,  all  the  morning,  and 
then  returns  to  eat  his  breakfast  in  the  middle  of  the 
forenoon ;  he  goes  into  the  woods  again,  or  on  the  lake, 
and  comes  back  to  dinner,  just  as  I  take  my  tea." 

"This  settles  the  matter.  Any  man  who  presumes 
to  do  all  this,  Mr.  Bragg,  deserves  to  be  called  by  some 
harder  name,  even,  than  that  of  a  poet.  Pray,  sir, 
how  long  has  this  eccentric  person  been  a  resident  of 
Templeton  V9 

"  Hist — there  he  is,  as  I  am  a  sinner ;  and  it  was  not 
he  and  the  other  gentlemen  that  were  in  the  boat." 

The  rebuked  manner  of  Aristabulus,  and  the  drop 
ping  of  his  voice,  induced  the  whole  party  to  look  in 
the  direction  of  his  eye,  and,  sure  enough,  a  gentleman 
approached  them,  in  the  dress  a  man  of  the  world  is 
apt  to  assume  in  the  country,  an  attire  of  itself  that 
was  sufficient  to  attract  comment  in  a  place  where  the 
general  desire  was  to  be  as  much  like  town  as  possible, 
though  it  was  sufficiently  neat  and  simple.  He  came 
from  the  forest,  along  the  table-land  that  crowned  the 
mountain  for  some  distance,  following  one  of  the  foot 
paths  that  the  admirers  of  the  beautiful  landscape  have 
made  all  over  that  pleasant  wood.  As  he  came  out 
into  the  cleared  spot,  seeing  it  already  in  possession 
of  a  party,  he  bowed,  and  was  passing  on,  with  a  deli 
cacy  that  Mr.  Bragg  would  be  apt  to  deem  eccentric, 
when  suddenly  stopping,  he  gave  a  look  of  intense  and 
eager  interest  at  the  whole  party,  smiled,  advanced 
rapidly  nearer,  and  discovered  his  entire  person. 

"I  ought  not  to  be  surprised,"  he  said,  as  he  advanced 
so  near  as  to  render  doubt  any  longer  impossible,  "  for 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  151 

1  knew  you  were  expected,  and  indeed  waited  for  your 
arrival,  and  yet  this  meeting  has  been  so  unexpected 
as  to  leave  me  scarcely  in  possession  of  my  faculties." 

It  is  needless  to  dwell  upon  the  warmth  and  number 
of  the  greetings.  To  the  surprise  of  Mr.  Bragg,  his 
poet  was  not  only  known,  but  evidently  much  esteemed 
by  all  the  party,  with  the  exception  of  Miss  Van  Cort- 
landt,  to  whom  he  was  cordially  presented  by  the  name 
of  Mr.  Powis.  Eve  managed,  by  an  effort  of  womanly 
pride,  to  suppress  the  violence  of  her  emotions,  and  the 
meeting  passed  off  as  one  of  mutual  surprise  and  plea 
sure,  without  any  exhibition  of  unusual  feeling  to  at 
tract  comment. 

"  We  ought  to  express  our  wonder  at  finding  you 
here  before  us,  my  dear  young  friend,"  said  Mr.  Effing- 
ham,  still  holding  Paul's  hand  affectionately  between 
his  own ;  "  and,  even  now,  that  my  own  eyes  assure 
me  of  the  fact,  I  can  hardly  believe  you  would  arrive 
at  New- York,  and  quit  it,  without  giving  us  the  satis 
faction  of  seeing  you." 

"  In  that,  sir,  you  are  not  wrong ;  certainly  nothing 
could  have  deprived  me  of  that  pleasure,  but  the  know 
ledge  that  it  would  not  have  been  agreeable  to  your 
selves.  My  sudden  appearance  here,  however,  will  be 
without  mystery,  when  I  tell  you  that  I  returned  from 
England,  by  the  way  of  Quebec,  the  Great  Lakes,  and 
the  Falls,  having  been  induced  by  my  friend  Ducie  to 
take  that  route,  in  consequence  of  his  ship's  being  sent 
to  the  St.  Lawrence.  A  desire  for  novelty,  and  par 
ticularly  a  desire  to  see  the  celebrated  cataract,  which 
is  almost  the  lion  of  America,  did  the  rest." 

"  We  are  glad  to  have  you  with  us  on  any  terms, 
and  I  take  it  as  particularly  kind,  that  you  did  not  pass 
my  door.  You  have  been  here  some  days  1" 

"  Quite  a  week.  On  reachingUtica  I  diverged  from  the 
great  route  to  see  this  place,  not  anticipating  the  plea- 
sure  of  meeting  you  here  so  early ;  but  hearing  you  were 
expected,  I  determined  to  remain,  with  a  hope,  which  I 


152  HOME    AS    FOUiVD. 

rejoice  to  find  was  not  vain,  that  you  would  not  be 
sorry  to  see  an  old  fellow-traveller  again." 

Mr.  Effingham  pressed  his  hands  warmly  again,  be 
fore  he  relinquished  them ;  an  assurance  of  welcome 
that  Paul  received  with  thrilling  satisfaction. 

"I  have  been  in  Templeton  almost  long  enough," 
the  young  man  resumed,  laughing,  "  to  set  up  as  a  can 
didate  for  the  public  favour,  if  I  rightly  understand  the 
claims  of  a  denizen.  By  what  I  can  gather  from  ca 
sual  remarks,  the  old  proverb  that  « the  new  broom 
sweeps  clean'  applies  with  singular  fidelity  throughout 
all  this  region." 

•'  Have  you  a  copy  of  your  last  ode,  or  a  spare  epi 
gram,  in  your  pocket?"  inquired  John  Effingham. 

Paul  looked  surprised,  and  Aristabulus,  for  a  novelty, 
was  a  little  dashed.  Paul  looked  surprised,  as  a  mat 
ter  of  course,  for,  although  he  had  been  a  little  annoyed 
by  the  curiosity  that  is  apt  to  haunt  a  village  imagina 
tion,  since  his  arrival  in  Templeton,  he  did  not  in  the 
least  suspect  that  his  love  of  a  beautiful  nature  had 
been  imputed  to  devotion  to  the  muses.  Perceiving, 
however,  by  the  smiles  of  those  around  him,  that  there 
was  more  meant  than  was  expressed,  he  had  the  tact 
to  permit  the  explanation  to  come  from  the  person  who 
had  put  the  question,  if  it  were  proper  it  should  come 
at  all. 

"  We  will  defer  the  great  pleasure  that  is  in  reserve," 
continued  John  Effingham,  "  to  another  time.  At  pre 
sent,  it  strikes  me  that  the  lady  of  the  lawn  is  getting 
to  be  impatient,  and  the  dejeuner  &  la  fourchette,  that  I 
have  had  the  precaution  to  order,  is  probably  waiting 
our  appearance.  It  must  be  eaten,  though  under  the 
penalty  of  being  thought  moon-struck  rhymers  by  the 
whole  State.  Come,  Ned ;  if  you  are  sufficiently  satis 
fied  with  looking  at  the  Wigwam  in  a  bird's-eye  view, 
we  will  descend  and  put  its  beauties  to  the  severer  test 
of  a  close  examination." 

This  prouosal  was  readily  accepted,  though  all  tore 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  153 

themselves  from  that  lovely  spot  with  reluctance,  and 
not  until  they  had  paused  to  take  another  look. 

"  Fancy  the  shores  of  this  lake  lined  with  villas," 
said  Eve,  "church-towers  raising  their  dark  heads 
among  these  hills ;  each  mountain  crowned  with  a 
castle,  or  a  crumbling  ruin,  and  all  the  other  accesso 
ries  of  an  old  state  of  society,  and  what  would  then 
be  the  charms  of  the  view !" 

"  Less  than  they  are  to-day,  Miss  Effingham,"  said 
Paul  Powis;  "for  though  poetry  requires — you  all 
smile,  is  it  forbidden  to  touch  on  such  subjects  ?? 

"  Not  at  all,  so  it  be  done  in  wholesome  rhymes," 
returned  the  baronet.  "  You  ought  to  know  that  you 
are  expected  even  to  speak  in  doggerel." 

Paul  ceased,  and  the  whole  party  walked  away  from 
the  place,  laughing  and  light-hearted. 


CHAPTER  X. 


"  It  is  the  spot,  I  came  to  seek, 
My  father's  ancient  burial  place — 

It  is  the  spot — I  know  it  well, 
Of  which  our  old  traditions  tell." 

BRYANT. 


FROM  the  day  after  their  arrival  in  New- York,  or 
that  on  which  the  account  of  the  arrests  by  the  En 
glish  cruiser  had  appeared  in  the  journals,  little  had 
been  said  by  any  of  our  party  concerning  Paul  Powis, 
or  of  the  extraordinary  manner  in  which  he  had  left 
the  packet,  at  the  very  moment  she  was  about  to  enter 
her  haven.  It  is  true  that  Mr.  Dodge,  arrived  at 
Dodgeopolis,  had  dilated  on  the  subject  in  his  hebdo 
madal,  with  divers  additions  and  conjectures  of  his 
own,  and  this,  too,  in  a  way  to  attract  a  good  deal  of 
attention  in  the  interior ;  but,  it  being  a  rule  with  those 


154  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

who  are  supposed  to  dwell  at  the  fountain  of  foreign 
intelligence,  not  to  receive  any  thing  from  those  who 
ought  not  to  be  better  informed  than  themselves,  the 
Effinghams  and  their  friends  had  never  heard  of  his 
account  of  the  matter. 

While  all  thought  the  incident  of  the  sudden  return 
extraordinary,  no  one  felt  disposed  to  judge  the  young 
man  harshly.  The  gentlemen  knew  that  military  cen 
sure,  however  unpleasant,  did  not  always  imply  moral 
unworthiness ;  and  as  for  the  ladies,  they  retained  too 
lively  a  sense  of  his  skill  and  gallantry,  to  wish  to 
imagine  evil  on  grounds  so  slight  and  vague.  Still,  it 
had  been  impossible  altogether  to  prevent  the  obtrusion 
of  disagreeable  surmises,  and  all  now  sincerely  rejoiced 
at  seeing  their  late  companion  once  more  among  them, 
seemingly  in  a  state  of  mind  that  announced  neither 
guilt  nor  degradation. 

On  quitting  the  mountain,  Mr.  Effingham,  who  had 
a  tender  regard  for  Grace,  offered  her  his  arm  as  he 
would  have  given  it  to  a  second  daughter,  leaving  Eve 
to  the  care  of  John  Effingham.  Sir  George  attended 
to  Mademoiselle  Vicfville,  and  Paul  walked  by  the  side 
of  our  heroine  and  her  cousin,  leaving  Aristabulus  to 
be  what  he  himself  called  a  "  miscellaneous  compa 
nion;"  or,  in  other  words,  to  thrust  himself  into  either 
set,  as  inclination  or  accident  might  induce.  Of  course 
the  parties  conversed  as  they  walked,  though  those  in 
advance  would  occasionally  pause  to  say  a  word  to 
those  in  the  rear;  and,  as  they  descended,  one  or  two 
changes  occurred  to  which  we  may  have  occasion  to 
allude. 

"  I  trust  you  have  had  pleasant  passages,"  said  John 
Effingham  to  Paul,  as  soon  as  they  were  separated  in 
the  manner  just  mentioned.  "  Three  trips  across  the 
Atlantic  in  so  short  a  time  would  be  hard  duty  to  a 
landsman,  though  you,  as  a  sailor,  will  probably  think 
less  of  it" 

"  In  this  respect  I  have  been  fortunate ;  the  Foam, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  155 

as  we  know  from  experience,  being  a  good  traveller, 
and  Ducie  is  altogether  a  fine  fellow  and  an  agreeable 
messmate.  You  know  I  had  him  for  a  companion 
both  going  and  coming." 

This  was  said  naturally ;  and,  while  it  explained  so 
little  directly,  it  removed  all  unpleasant  uncertainty, 
by  assuring  his  listeners  that  he  had  been  on  good  terms 
at  least,  with  the  person  who  had  seemed  to  be  his 
pursuer.  John  Effingham,  too,  well  understood  that 
no  one  messed  with  the  commander  of  a  vessel  of 
war,  in  his  own  ship,  who  was,  in  any  way,  thought 
to  be  an  unfit  associate. 

"  You  have  made  a  material  circuit  to  reach  us,  the 
distance  by  Quebec  being  nearly  a  fourth  more  than 
the  direct  road." 

"  Ducie  desired  it  so  strongly,  that  I  did  not  like  to 
deny  him.  Indeed,  he  made  it  a  point,  at  first,  to  obtain 
permission  to  land  rne  at  New-York,  where  he  had 
found  me,  as  he  said ;  but  to  this  I  would  not  listen,  as 
I  feared  it  might  interfere  with  his  promotion,  of  which 
he  stood  so  good  a  chance,  in  consequence  of  his  suc 
cess  in  the  affair  of  the  money.  By  keeping  constantly 
before  the  eyes  of  his  superiors,  on  duty  of  interest,  I 
thought  his  success  would  be  more  certain." 

"  And  has  his  government  thought  his  perseverance 
in  the  chase  worthy  of  such  a  reward?* 

"  Indeed  it  has.  '  He  is  now  a  post,  and  all  owing  to 
his  good  luck  and  judgment  in  that  affair;  though  in 
his  country,  rank  in  private  life  does  no  harm  to  one  in 
public  life." 

Eve  liked  the  emphasis  that  Paul  laid  on  "  his  coun 
try,"  and  she  thought  the  whole  remark  was  made  in 
a  spirit  that  an  Englishman  would  not  be  apt  to  be 
tray. 

"  Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you,"  continued  John  Ef 
fingham,  "  that  our  sudden  and  unexpected  separation, 
has  caused  a  grave  neglect  of  duty  in  me,  if  not  in  both 
of  usT 


156 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


Paul  looked  surprised,  and,  by  his  manner,  he  de 
manded  an  explanation. 

"  You  may  remember  the  sealed  package  of  poor 
Mr.  Monday,  that  we  were  to  open  together  on  our 
arrival  in  New-York,  and  on  the  contents  of  which,  we 
were  taught  to  believe  depended  the  settling  of  some 
important  private  rights.  I  gave  that  package  to  you, 
at  the  moment  it  was  received,  and,  in  the  hurry  of 
leaving  us,  you  overlooked  the  circumstance." 

"  All  very  true,  and  to  my  shame  I  confess  that,  un 
til  this  instant,  the  affair  has  been  quite  forgotten  by 
me.  I  had  so  much  to  occupy  my  mind  while  in  En<r. 
land,  that  it  was  not  likely  to  be  remembered,  and  then 
the  packet  itself  has  scarce  been  in  my  possession 
since  the  day  I  left  you." 

"  It  is  not  lost,  I  trust !"  said  John  Effingham  quickly. 
"  Surely  not-— it  is  safe,  beyond  a  question,  in  the 
writing-desk  in  which  I  deposited  it.  But  the  moment 
we  got  to  Portsmouth,  Ducie  and  myself  proceeded  to 
London  together,  and,  as  soon  as  he  had  got  through 
at  the  Admiralty,  we  went  into  Yorkshire,  where  we 
remained,  much  occupied  with  private  matters  of  great 
importance  to  us  both,  while  his  ship  was  docked ;  and 
then  it  became  necessary  to  make  sundry  visits  to  our 

relations " 

"  Relations  !"  repeated  Eve  involuntarily,  though  she 
did  not  cease  to  reproach  herself  for  the  indiscretion, 
during  the  rest  of  the  walk. 

"  Relations—"  returned  Paul,  smiling.  "Captain  Du 
cie  and  myself  are  cousins-german,  and  we  made  pil 
grimages  together,  to  sundry  family  shrines.  This 
duty  occupied  us  until  a  few  days  before  we  sailed  for 
Quebec.  On  reaching  our  haven,  I  left  the  ship  to 
visit  the  great  lakes  and  Niagara,  leaving  most  of  my 
effects  with  Ducie,  who  has  promised  to  bring  them  on 
with  himself,  when  he  followed  on  my  track,  as  he  ex 
pected  soon  to  do,  on  his  way  to 'the  West  Indies, 
where  he  is  to  find  a  frigate.  He  owed  me  this  atten- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  157 

tion,  as  he  insisted,  on  account  of  having  induced  me 
to  go  so  far  out  of  my  way,  with  so  much  luggage,  to 
oblige  him.  The  packet  is,  unluckily,  left  behind  with 
the  other  things." 

"And  do  you  expect  Captain  Ducie  to  arrive  in 
this  country  soon  ?— The  affair  of  the  packet  ought 
not  to  be  neglected  much  longer,  for  a  promise  to  a 
dying  man  is  doubly  binding,  as  it  appeals  to  all  our 
generosity.  Rather  than  neglect  the  matter  much 
longer,  I  would  prefer  sending  a  special  messenger  to 
Quebec." 

"  That  will  be  quite  unnecessary,  as,  indeed,  it  would 
be  useless.  Ducie  left  Quebec  yesterday,  and  has  sent 
his  and  my  effects  direct  to  New-York,  under  the  care 
of  his  own  steward.  The  writing-case,  containing 
other  papers  that  are  of  interest  to  us  both,  he  has 
promised  not  to  lose  sight  of,  but  it  will  accompany 
him  on  the  same  tour,  as  that  I  have  just  made ;  for, 
he  wishes  to  avail  himself  of  this  opportunity  to  see 
Niagara  and  the  lakes,  also:  he  is  now  on  my  track, 
and  will  notify  me  by  letter  of  the  day  he  will  be  in 
Utica,  in  order  that  we  may  meet  on  the  line  of  the 
canal,  near  this  place,  and 'proceed  to  New- York,  in 
company." 

His  companions  listened  to  this  brief  statement  with 
an  intense  interest,  with  which  the  packet  of  poor 
Mr.  Monday,  however,  had  very  little  connection. 
John  Effingham  called  to  his  cousin,  and,  in  a  few 
words,  stated  the  circumstances  as  they  had  just  been 
related  to  himself,  without  adverting  to  the  papers  of 
Mr.  Monday,  which  was  an  affair  that  he  had  hitherto 
kept  to  himself. 

"It  will  be  no  more  than  a  return  of  civility,  if  we 
invite  Captain  Ducie  to  diverge  from  his  road,  and 
pass  a  few  days  with  us,  in  the  mountains,"  he  added. 
u  At  what  precise  time  do  you  expect  him  to  pass, 
Powis?" 

"  Within  the  fortnight.     I  feel  certain  he  would  be 
14 


158  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

glad  to  pay  his  respects  to  this  party,  for  he  often 
expressed  his  sincere  regrets  at  having  been  employed 
on  a  service  that  exposed  the  ladies  to  so  much  peril 
and  delay." 

"  Captain  Ducie  is  a  near  kinsman  of  Mr.  Powis, 
dear  father,"  added  Eve,  in  away  to  show  her  parent, 
that  the  invitation  would  be  agreeable  to  herself,  for 
Mr.  Effingham  was  so  attentive  to  the  wishes  of  his 
daughter,  as  never  to  ask  a  guest  to  his  house,  that  he 
thought  would  prove  disagreeable  to  its  mistress. 

"  I  shall  do  myself  the  pleasure  to  write  to  Captain 
Ducie,  this  evening,  urging  him  to  honour  us  with  his 
company,"  returned  Mr.  Effingham.  "We  expect 
other  friends  in  a  few  days,  and  I  hope  he  will  not  find 
his  time  heavy  on  his  hands,  while  in  exile  among  us. 
Mr.  Powis  will  enclose  my  note  in  one  of  his  letters, 
and  will,  I  trust,  second  the  request  by  his  own  solici 
tations." 

Paul  made  his  acknowledgments,  and  the  whole 
party  proceeded,  though  the  interruption  caused  such 
a  change  in  the  figure  of  the  promenade,  as  to  leave  the 
young  man  the 'immediate  escort  of  Eve.  The  party, 
by  this  time,  had  not  only  reached  the  highway,  but  it 
had  again  diverged  from  it,  to  follow  the  line  of  an 
old  and  abandoned  wheel-track,  that  descended  the 
mountain,  along  the  side  of  the  declivity,  by  a  wilder 
and  more  perilous  .direction  than  suited  a  modern  en 
terprise  ;  it  having  been  one  of  those  little  calculated 
and  rude  roads,  that  the  first  settlers  of  a  country  are 
apt  to  make,  before  there  are  time  and  means  to  inves 
tigate  and  finish  to  advantage.  Although  much  more 
difficult  and  dangerous  than  its  successor,  as  a  highway, 
this  relic  of  the  infant  condition  of  the  country  was 
by  far  the  most  retired  and  beautiful ;  and  pedestrians 
continued  to  use  it,  as  a  common  foot-path  to  the 
Vision.  The  seasons  had  narrowed  its  surface,  and 
the  second  growth  had  nearly  covered  it  with  their 
branches,  shading  it  like  an  arbour ;  and  Eve  expressed 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  159 

her  delight  with  its  wildness  and  boldness,  mingled,  as 
both  were,  with  so  pleasant  a  seclusion,  as  they  de 
scended  along  a  path  as  safe  and  convenient  as  a 
French  allte.  Glimpses  were  constantly  obtained  of 
the  lake  and  the  village,  while  they  proceeded ;  and 
altogether,  they  who  were  strangers  to  the  scenery, 
were  loud  in  its  praises. 

"  Most  persons,  who  see  this  valley  for  the  first  time," 
observed  Aristabulus,  "  find  something  to  say  in  its  fa 
vour  ;  for  my  part,  I  consider  it  as  rather  curious  my 
self." 

"  Curious !"  exclaimed  Paul ;  "  that  gentleman  is,  at 
least,  singular  in  the  choice  of  his  expressions." 

"  You  have  met  him  before  to-day,"  said  Eve,  laugh 
ing,  for  Eve  was  now  in  a  humour  to  laugh  at  trifles. 
"  This  we  know,  since  he  had  prepared  us  to  meet  a 
poet,  where  we  only  find  an  old  friend." 

"  Only,  Miss  Effingham ! — Do  you  estimate  poets  so 
high,  and  old  friends  so  low  ?" 

"  This  extraordinary  person,  Mr.  Aristabulus  Bragg, 
really  deranges  all  one's  notions  and  opinions  in  such 
a  manner,  as  to  destroy  even  the  usual  signification  of 
words,  I  believe.  He  seems  so  much  in,  and  yet  so 
much  out  of  his  place ;  is  both  so  rust  and  so  unprac 
tised  ;  so  unfit  for  what  he  is,  and  so  ready  at  every 
thing,  that  I  scarcely  know  how  to  apply  terms  in  any 
matter  with  which  he  has  the  smallest  connection.  I 
fear  he  has  persecuted  you  since  your  arrival  in  Tem- 
pleton?" 

"  Not  at  all ;  I  am  so  much  acquainted  with  men  of 
his  cast,  that  I  have  acquired  a  tact  in  managing  them. 
Perceiving  that  he  was  disposed  to  suspect  me  of  a 
disposition  to  'poetize  the  lake/  to  use  his  own  term, 
I  took  care  to  drop  a  couple  of  lines,  roughly  written 
off,  like  a  hasty  and  imperfect  effusion,  where  I  felt 
sure  he  would  find  them,  and  have  been  living  for  a 
whole  week  on  the  fame  thereof." 

"  You  do  indulge  in  such  tastes,  then?"  said  Eve. 
smiling  a  little  saucily. 


100  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  I  am  as  innocent  of  such  an  ambition,  as  of  wish 
ing  to  marry  the  heiress  of  the  British  throne,  which, 
I  believe,  just  now,  is  the  goal  of  all  the  Icaruses  of  our 
own  time.  I  am  merely  a  rank  plagiarist — for  the 
rhyme,  on  the  fame  of  which  I  have  rioted  for  a  glori 
ous  week,  was  two  lines  of  Pope's,  an  author  so  effec 
tually  forgotten  in  these  palmy  days  of  literature,  in 
which  all  knowledge  seems  so  condensed  into  the  pro 
ductions  of  the  last  few  years,  that  a  man  might  al 
most  pass  off  an  entire  classic  for  his  own,  without  the 
fear  of  detection.  It  was  merely  the  first  couplet  of 
the  Essay  on  Man,  which,  fortunately,  having  an  allu 
sion  to  the  '  pride  of  Kings,'  would  pass  for  original, 
as  well  as  excellent,  in  nineteen  villages  in  twenty  in 
America,  in  these  piping  times  of  ultra-republicanism. 
No  doubt  Mr.  Bragg  thought  a  eulogy  on  the  «  people' 
was  to  come  next,  to  be  succeeded  by  a  glorious  pic 
ture  of  Ternpleton  and  its  environs." 

"  I  do  not  know  that  I  ought  to  admit  these  hits  at 
liberty  from  a  foreigner,"  said  Eve,  pretending  to  look 
graver  than  she  felt ;  for  never  before,  in  her  life,  had 
our  heroine  so  strong  a  consciousness  of  happiness,  as 
she  had  experienced  that  very  morning. 

"Foreigner,  Miss  Effingham ! —  And  why  a  fo 
reigner  ?" 

"  Nay,  you  know  your  own  pretended  cosmopolitism ; 
and  ought  not  the  cousin  of  Captain  Ducie  to  be  an 
Englishman?" 

"  I  shall  not  answer  for  the  ought,  the  simple  fact 
being  a  sufficient  reply  to  the  question.  The  cousin 
of  Captain  Ducie  is  not  an  Englishman ;  nor,  as  I  see 
you  suspect,  has  he  ever  served  a  day  in  the  British 
navy,  or  in  any  other  navy  than  that  of  his  native  land." 

"  This  is  indeed  taking  us  by  surprise,  and  that  most 
agreeably,"  returned  Eve,  looking  up  at  him  with  un 
disguised  pleasure,  while  a  bright  glow  crimsoned  her 
face.  "  We  could  not  but  feel  an  interest  in  one  who 


HOME   AS   FOUND.  101 

had  so  effectually  served  us ;  and  both  rny  father  and 
Mr.  John  Effingham " 

"  Cousin  Jack — "  interrupted  the  smiling  Paul. 

"Cousin  Jack,  then,  if  you  dislike  the  formality  I 
used;  both  my  father  and  cousin  Jack  examined  the 
American  navy  registers  for  your  name,  without  suc 
cess,  as  I  understood,  and  the  inference  that  followed 
was  fair  enough,  I  believe  you  will  admit." 

"  Had  they  looked  at  a  register  of  a  few  years'  date, 
they  would  have  met  with  better  luck.  I  have  quitted 
the  service,  and  am  a  sailor  only  in  recollections.  For 
the  last  few  years,  like  yourselves,  I  have  been  a  tra 
veller  by  land  as  well  as  by  water." 

Eve  said  no  more,  though  every  syllable  that  the 
young  man  uttered  was  received  by  attentive  ears, 
and  retained  with  a  scrupulous  fidelity  of  memory. 
They  walked  some  distance  in  silence,  until  they 
reached  the  grounds  of  a  house  that  was  beautifully 
placed  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  near  a  lovely  wood 
of  pines.  Crossing  these  grounds,  until  they  reached 
a  terrace  in  front  of  the  dwelling,  the  village  of  Tem- 
pleton  lay  directly  in  their  front,  perhaps  a  hundred 
feet  beneath  them,  and  yet  so  near,  as  to  render  the 
minutest  object  distinct.  Here  they  all  stopped  to  take 
a  more  distinct  view  of  a  place  that  had  so  much  inter 
est  with  most  of  the  party. 

"I  hope  you  are  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the 
localities  to  act  as  cicerone,"  said  Mr.  Effingham  to 
Paul.  "  In  a  visit  of  a  week  to  this  village,  you  have 
scarcely  overlooked  the  Wigwam." 

"  Perhaps  I  ought  to  hesitate,  or  rather  ought  to 
blush  to  own  it,"  answered  the  young  man,  discharging 
the  latter  obligation  by  colouring  to  his  temples ;  "  but 
curiosity  has  proved  so  much  stronger  than  manners, 
that  I  have  been  induced  to  trespass  so  far  on  the  po 
liteness  of  this  gentleman,  as  to  gain  an  admission  to 
your  dwelling,  in  and  about  which  more  of  mv  time 
14* 


162  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

has  been  passed  than  has  probably  proved  agreeable 
to  its  inmates." 

"  I  hope  the  gentleman  will  not  speak  of  it,"  said 
Aristabulus.  "  In  this  country,  we  live  pretty  much  in 
common,  and  with  me  it  is  a  rule,  when  a  gentleman 
drops  in,  whether  stranger  or  neighbour,  to  show  him 
the  civility  to  ask  him  to  take  off  his  hat." 

"  It  appears  to  me,"  said  Eve,  willing  to  change  the 
conversation,  "  that  Templeton  has  an  unusual  number 
of  steeples;  for  what  purpose  can  so  small  a  place 
possibly  require  so  many  buildings  of  that  nature?" 

"  All  in  behalf  of  orthodoxy,  Miss  Eve,"  returned 
Aristabulus,  who  conceived  himself  to  be  the  proper 
person  to  answer  such  interrogatories.  "  There  is  a 
shade  of  opinion  beneath  every  one  of  those  steeples." 

"  Do  you  mean,  sir,  that  there  are  as  many  shades 
of  faith  in  Templeton,  as  I  now  see  buildings  that  have 
the  appearance  of  being  devoted  to  religious  pur 
poses  1" 

"  Double  the  number,  Miss,  and  some  to  spare,  in 
the  bargain;  for  you  see  but  five  meeting-houses, 
and  the  county-buildings,  and  we  reckon  seven  regu 
lar  hostile  denominations  in  the  village,  besides  the 
diversities  of  sentiment  on  trifles.  This  edifice  that 
you  perceive  here,  in  a  line  with  the  chimneys  of  the 
first  house,  is  New  St.  Paul's,  Mr.  Grant's  old  church, 
as  orthodox  a  house,  in  its  way,  as  there  is  in  the  dio 
cese,  as  you  may  see  by  the  windows.  This  is  a  gain 
ing  concern,  though  there  has  been  some  falling  off  of 
late,  in  consequence  of  the  clergyman's  having  caught 
a  bad  cold,  which  has  made  him  a  little  hoarse;  but  I 
dare  say  he  will  get  over  it,  and  the  church  ought  not 
to  be  abandoned  on  that  account,  serious  as  the  matter 
undoubtedly  is,  for  the  moment.  A  few  of  us  are  deter 
mined  to  back  up  New  St.  Paul's  in  this  crisis,  and  I 
make  it  a  point  to  go  there  myself,  quite  half  the  time." 

"  I  am  glad  we  have  so  much  of  your  company," 
said  Mr.  Effmgham,  "  for  that  is  our  own  church,  and 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  163 

in  it  my  daughter  was  baptized.  But,  do  you  divide 
your  religious  opinions  in  halves,  Mr.  Bragg?" 

"  In  as  many  parts,  Mr.  Effingham,  as  there  are  de 
nominations  in  the  neighbourhood,  giving  a  decided 
preference  to  New  St.  Paul's,  notwithstanding,  under 
the  peculiar  circumstances,  particularly  to  the  windows. 
The  dark,  gloomy-looking  building,  Miss,  off  in  the 
distance,  yonder,  is  the  Methodist  affair,  of  which  not 
much  need  be  said ;  Methodism  flourishing  but  little 
among  us  since  the  introduction  of  the  New  Lights, 
who  have  fairly  managed  to  out-excite  them,  on  every 
plan  they  can  invent.  I  believe,  however,  they  stick 
pretty  much  to  the  old  doctrine,  which,  no  doubt,  is 
one  great  reason  of  their  present  apathetic  state ;  for 
the  people  do  love  novelties." 

"  Pray,  sir,  what  building  is  this  nearly  in  a  line 
with  New  St.  Paul's,  and  which  resembles  it  a  little,  in 
colour  and  form  V 

"  Windows  excepted ;  it  has  two  rows  of  regular 
square-topped  windows,  Miss,  as  you  may  observe. 
That  is  the  First  Presbyterian,  or  the  old  standard ;  a 
very  good  house,  and  a  pretty  good  faith,  too,  as  times 
go.  I  make  it  a  point  to  attend  there,  at  least  once 
every  fortnight ;  for  change  is  agreeable  to  the  nature 
of  man.  I  will  say,  Miss,  that  my  preference,  so  far 
as  I  have  any,  however,  is  for  New  St.  Paul's,  and  I 
have  experienced  considerable  regrets,  that  these  Pres 
byterians  have  gained  a  material  advantage  over  us, 
in  a  very  essential  point,  lately." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  this,  Mr.  Bragg ;  for,  being  an 
Episcopalian  myself,  and  having  great  reliance  on  the 
antiquity  and  purity  of  my  church,  I  should  be  sorry 
to  find  it  put  in  the  wrong  by  any  other." 

"  I  fear  we  must  give  that  point  up,  notwithstanding, 
for  these  Presbyterians  have  entirely  outwitted  the 
church  people  in  that  matter." 

"  And  what  is  the  point  in  which  we  have  been  so 
signally  worsted  ?' 


164  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

"  Why,  Miss,  their  new  bell  weighs  quite  a  hundred 
more  than  that  of  New  St.  Paul's,  and  has  altogether 
the  best  sound.  I  know  very  well  that  this  advantage 
will  not  avail  them  any  thing  to  boast  of,  in  the  last 
great  account;  but  it  makes  a  surprising  difference  in 
the  state  of  probation.  You  see  the  yellowish  looking 
building  across  the  valley,  with  a  heavy  wall  around 
it,  and  a  belfry  ?  That,  in  its  regular  character,  is  the 
county  court-house,  and  gaol ;  but,  in  the  way  of  re 
ligion,  it  is  used  pretty  much  miscellaneously." 

"  Do  you  mean,  really,  sir,  that  divine  "service  is 
ever  actually  performed  in  it,  or  that  persons  of  all 
denominations  are  occasionally  tried  there  ?" 

"  It  would  be  truer  to  say  that  all  denominations 
occasionally  try  the  court-house,"  said  Aristabulus, 
simpering;  "for  I  believe  it  has  been  used  in  this  way 
by  every  shade  of  religion  short  of  the  Jews.  The 
Gothic  tower  in  wood,  is  the  building  of  the  Univer- 
salists ;  and  the  Grecian  edifice,  that  is  not  yet  painted, 
the  Baptists.  The  Quakers,  I  believe,  worship  chiefly 
at  home,  and  the  different  shades  of  the  Presbyterians 
meet,  in  different  rooms,  in  private  houses,  about  the 
place." 

"  Are  there  then  shades  of  difference  in  the  denomi 
nations,  as  well  as  all  these  denominations?"  asked 
Eve,  in  unfeigned  surprise ;  "  and  this,  too,  in  a  popu 
lation  so  small?" 

"  This  is  a  free  county,  Miss  Eve,  and  freedom  loves 
variety.  «  Many  men,  many  minds.' " 

"Quite  true,  sir,"  said  Paul;  "but  here  are  many 
minds  among  few  men.  Nor  is  this  all ;  agreeablv  to 
your  own  account,  some  of  these  men  do  not  exactly 
know  their  own  minds.  But,  can  you  explain  to  us 
what  essential  points  are  involved  in  all  these  shades 
of  opinion?" 

"  It  would  require  a  life,  sir,  to  understand  the  half 
of  them.  Some  say  that  excitement  is  religion,  and 
others,  that  it  is  contentment.  One  set  cries  up  prac- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  165 

tice,  and  another  cries  out  against  it.  This  man  main 
tains  that  he  will  be  saved  if  he  does  good,  and  that 
man  affirms  that  if  he  only  does  good,  he  will  be 
damned;  a  little  evil  is  necessary  to  salvation,  with 
one  shade  of  opinion,  while  another  thinks  a  man  is 
never  so  near  conversion  as  when  he  is  deepest  in  sin." 

"  Subdivision  is  the  order  of  the  day,"  added  John 
Effingham ;  "  every  county  is  to  be  subdivided  that 
there  may  be  more  county  towns,  and  county  offices ; 
every  religion  decimated,  that  there  may  be  a  greater 
variety  and  a  better  quality  of  saints." 

Aristabulus  nodded  his  head,  and  he  would  have 
winked,  could  he  have  presumed  to  take  such  a  liberty 
with  a  man  he  held  as  much  in  habitual  awe,  as  John 
Effingham. 

"Monsieur"  inquired  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  "is 
there  no  tglise,  no  veritable  eglise,  in  Templeton  ?" 

"Oh,  yes,  Madame,  several,"  returned  Aristabulus, 
who  would  as  soon  think  of  admitting  that  he  did  not 
understand  the  meaning  of  veritable  eglise,  as  one  of 
the  sects  he  had  been  describing  would  think  of  ad 
mitting  that  it  was  not  infallible  in  its  interpretation  of 
Christianity — "  several ;  but  they  are  not  be  seen  from 
this  particular  spot." 

"  How  much  more  picturesque  would  it  be,  and 
even  christian-like  in  appearance,  at  least,"  said  Paul, 
*  could  these  good  people  consent  to  unite  in  worship 
ping  God ! — and  how  much  does  it  bring  into  strong 
relief,  the  feebleness  and  ignorance  of  man,  when  you 
see  him  splitting  hairs  about  doctrines,  under  which  he 
has  been  told,  in  terms  as  plain  as  language  can  make 
it,  that  he  is  simply  required  to  believe  in  the  good 
ness  and  power  of  a  Being  whose  nature  and  agencies 
exceed  his  comprehension." 

"  All  very  true,"  cried  John  Effingham,  "but  what 
would  become  of  liberty  of  conscience  in  such  a  case  ? 
Most  men,  now-a-days,  understand  by  faith,  a  firm  re 
liance  on  their  own  opinions  !" 


166  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  In  that  case,  too,"  put  in  Aristabulus,  "  we  snould 
want  this  handsome  display  of  churches  to  adorn  our 
village.  There  is  good  comes  of  it;  for  any  man 
would  be  more  likely  to  invest  in  a  place  that  has  five 
churches,  than  in  a  place  with  but  one.  As  it  is,  Tem- 
pleton  has  as  beautiful  a  set  of  churches  as  any  village 
I  know." 

"  Say,  rather,  sir,  a  set  of  castors ;  for  a  stronger 
resemblance  to  vinegar-cruets  and  mustard-pots,  than 
is  borne  by  these  architectural  prodigies,  eye  never 
beheld." 

"  It  is,  nevertheless,  a  beautiful  thing,  to  see  the  high 
pointed  roof  of  the  house  of  God,  crowning  an  assem 
blage  of  houses,  as  one  finds  it  in  other  countries," 
said  Eve,  "  instead  of  a  pile  of  tavern,  as  is  too  much 
the  case  in  this  dear  home  of  ours." 

When  this  remark  was  uttered,  they  descended  the 
step  that  led  from  the  terrace,  and  proceeded  towards 
the  village.  On  reaching  the  gate  of  the  Wigwam, 
the  whole  party  stood  confronted  \vith  that  offspring 
of  John  Effingham's  taste ;  for  so  great  had  been  his 
improvements  on  the  original  production  of  Hiram 
Doolittle,  that  externally,  at  least,  that  distinguished 
architect  could  no  longer  have  recognized  the  fruits  of 
his  own  talents. 

"  This  is  carrying  out  to  the  full,  John,  the  conceits 
of  the  composite  order,"  observed  Mr.  Effingham, 
drily. 

"  I  shall  be  sorry,  Ned,  if  you  dislike  your  house,  as 
it  is  amended  and  corrected." 

"  Dear  cousin  Jack,"  cried  Eve,  "  it  is  an  odd  jumble 
of  the  Grecian  and  Gothic.  One  would  like  to  know 
your  authorities  for  such  a  liberty." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  ihe  facade  of  the  cathedral 
of  Milan,  Miss,"  laying  emphasis  on  the  last  words,  in 
imitation  of  the  manner  of  Mr.  Bragg.  "  Is  it  such  a 
novelty  to  see  the  two  styles  blended ;  or  is  architec- 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  167 

tu-^  60  pure  in  America,  that  you  think  I  have  com- 
milled  the  unpardonable  sin." 

"  Nay,  nothing  that  is  out  of  rule  ought  to  strike 
one,  in  a  country  where  imitation  governs  in  all  things 
immaterial,  and  originality  unsettles  all  things  sacred 
and  dear." 

"  By  way  of  punishment  for  that  bold  speech,  I  wish 
I  had  left  the  old  rookery  in  the  state  I  found  it,  that 
its  beauties  might  have  greeted  your  eyes,  instead  of 
this  uncouth  pile,  which  seems  so  much  to  offend  them. 
Mademoiselle  Viefville,  permit  me  to  ask  how  you  like 
that  house  ?" 

"  Mais,  c'est  un  petit  chateau.'11 

"  Un  chateau,  Effinghamise"  said  Eve,  laughing. 

"  Effinghamise  si  vous  voulez,  ma  chere ;  pourtant 
c'est  un  chateau." 

"  The  general  opinion  in  this  part  of  the  country 
is,"  said  Aristabulus,  "  that  Mr.  John  Effingham  has 
altered  the  building  on  the  plan  of  some  edifice  of  Eu 
rope,  though  I  forget  the  name  of  the  particular  tem 
ple  ;  it  is  not,  however,  the  Parthenon,  nor  the  temple 
of  Minerva." 

"  I  hope,  at  least,"  said  Mr.  Effingham,  leading  the 
way  up  a  little  lawn,  "  it  will  not  turn  out  to  be  the 
Temple  of  the  Winds." 


CHAPTER  XL 


"Nay,  I'll  come;  if  I  lose  a  scruple  of  this  sport,  let  me  be  boiled  to 
death  with  melancholy." — SHAKSPEARE. 

THE  progress  of  society  in  America,  has  been  dis 
tinguished  by  several  peculiarities  that  do  not  so  pro 
perly  belong  to  the  more  regular  and  methodical  ad 
vances  of  civilization  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  On 
the  one  hand,  the  arts  of  life,  like  Minerva,  who  was 


168  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

struck  out  of  the  intellectual  being  of  her  father  at  a 
blow,  have  started  full-grown  into  existence,  as  the 
legitimate  inheritance  of  the  colonists,  while,  on  the 
other,  every  thing  tends  towards  settling  down  into  a 
medium,  as  regards  quality,  a  consequence  of  the  com 
munity-character  of  the  institutions.  Every  thing 
she  had  seen  that  day,  had  struck  Eve  as  partaking  of 
this  mixed  nature,  in  which,  while  nothing  was  vulgar, 
little  even  approached  to  that  high  standard,  that  her 
European  education  had  taught  her  to  esteem  perfect. 
In  the  Wigwam,  however,  as  her  father's  cousin  had 
seen  fit  to  name  the  family  dwelling,  there  was  more 
of  keeping,  and  a  closer  attention  to  the  many  little 
things  she  had  been  accustomed  to  consider  essential 
to  comfort  and  elegance,  and  she  was  better  satisfied 
with  her  future  home,  than  with  most  she  had  seen 
since  her  return  to  America. 

As  we  have  described  the  interior  of  this  house,  in 
another  work,  little  remains  to  be  said  on  the  sub 
ject,  at  present ;  for,  while  John  Effingham  had  com 
pletely  altered  its  external  appearance,  its  internal 
was  not  much  changed.  It  is  true,  the  cloud-coloured 
covering  had  disappeared,  as  had  that  stoop  also,  the 
columns  of  which  were  so  nobly  upheld  by  their  super 
structure  ;  the  former  having  given  place  to  a  less  ob 
trusive  roof,  that  was  regularly  embattled,  and  the  lat 
ter  having  been  swallowed  up  by  a  small  entrance 
tower,  that  the  new  architect  had  contrived  to  attach 
to  the  building  with  quite  as  much  advantage  to  it,  in 
the  way  of  comfort,  as  in  the  way  of  appearance.  In 
truth,  the  Wigwam  had  none  of  the  more  familiar  fea 
tures  of  a  modern  American  dwelling  of  its  class. 
There  was  not  a  column  about  it,  whether  Grecian, 
Roman,  or  Egyptian ;  no  Venetian  blinds ;  no  veran 
dah  or  piazza ;  no  outside  paint,  nor  gay  blending  of 
colours.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  a  plain  old  structure, 
built  with  great  solidity,  and  of  excellent  materials,  and 
in  that  style  of  respectable  dignity  and  propriety,  that 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  169 

was  perhaps  a  little  more  peculiar  to  our  fathers  than 
it  is  peculiar  to  their  successors,  our  worthy  selves. 
In  addition  to  the  entrance  tower,  or  porch,  on  its 
northern  front,  John  Effingham  had  also  placed  a  pret 
tily  devised  conceit  on  the  southern,  by  means  of 
which  the  abrupt  transition  from  an  inner  room  to  the 
open  air  was  adroitly  avoided.  He  had,  moreover, 
removed  the  "firstly"  of  the  edifice,  and  supplied  its 
place  with  a  more  suitable  addition  that  contained  some 
of  the  offices,  while  it  did  not  disfigure  the  building,  a 
rare  circumstance  in  an  architectural  after-thought. 

Internally,  the  Wigwam  had  gradually  been  under 
going  improvements,  ever  since  that  period,  which,  in 
the  way  of  the  arts,  if  not  in  the  way  of  chronology, 
might  be  termed  the  dark  ages  of  Otsego.  The  great 
hall  had  long  before  lost  its  characteristic  decoration 
of  the  severed  arm  of  Wolf,  a  Gothic  paper  that  was 
better  adapted  to  the  really  respectable  architecture 
of  the  room  being  its  substitute ;  and  even  the  urn  that 
was  thought  to  contain  the  ashes  of  Queen  Dido,  like 
the  pitcher  that  goes  often  to  the  well,  had  been  broken 
in  a  war  of  extermination  that  had  been  carried  on 
against  the  cobwebs  by  a  particularly  notable  house 
keeper.  Old  Homer,  too,  had  gone  the  way  of  all 
baked  clay  Shakspeare,  himself,  had  dissolved  into 
dust,  "  leaving  not  a  wreck  behind ;"  and  of  Washing 
ton  and  Franklin,  even,  indigenous  as  they  were,  there 
remained  no  vestiges.  Instead  of  these  venerable  me 
morials  of  the  past,  John  Effingham,  who  retained  a 
pleasing  recollection  of  their  beauties  as  they  had  pre 
sented  themselves  to  his  boyish  eyes,  had  bought  a  few 
substitutes  in  a  New-York  shop,  and  a  Shakspeare, 
and  a  Milton,  and  a  Csesar,  and  a  Dryden,  and  a 
Locke,  as  the  writers  of  heroic  so  beautifully  express 
it,  were  now  seated  in  tranquil  dignity  on  the  old  me 
dallions  that  had  held  their  illustrious  predecessors. 
Although  time  had,  as  yet,  done  little  for  this  new  col- 


170  HOME    AS    FOUVD. 

lection  in  the  way  of  colour,  dust   and   neglect  were 
already  throwing  around  them  the  tint  of  antiquity. 

"  The  lady,"  to  use  the  language  of  Mr.  Bragg,  who 
did  the  cooking  of  the  Wigwam,  having  every  thing 
in  readiness,  our  party  took  their  seats  at  the  breakfast 
table,  which  was  spread  in  the  great  hall,  as  soon  as 
each  had  paid  a  little  attention  to  the  toilette.  As  the 
service  was  neither  very  scientific,  nor  sufficiently  pe 
culiar,  either  in  the  way  of  elegance  or  of  its  opposite 
quality,  to  be  worthy  of  notice,  we  shall  pass  it  over 
in  silence. 

"  One  will  not  quite  so  much  miss  European  archi 
tecture  in  this  house,"  said  Eve,  as  she  took  her  seat 
at  table,  glancing  an  eye  at  the  spacious  and  lofty 
room,  in  which  they  were  assembled  ;  "  here  is  at  least 
size  and  its  comforts,  if  not  elegance." 

"  Had  you  lost  all  recollection  of  this  building,  my 
child  ?"  inquired  her  father,  kindly ;  "  I  was  in  hopes 
you  would  feel  some  of  the  happiness  of  returning 
home,  when  you  again  found  yourself  beneath  its 
roof!" 

"  I  should  greatly  dislike  to  have  all  the  antics  I 
have  been  playing  in  my  own  dressing-room  exposed,' 
returned  Eve,  rewarding  the  parental  solicitude  of  her 
father  by  a  look  of  love,  "  though  Grace,  between  hei 
laughing  and  her  tears,  has  threatened  me  with  suet 
a  disgrace.  Ann  Sidley  has  also  been  weeping,  and, 
as  even  Annette,  always  courteous  and  considerate, 
has  shed  a  few  tears  in  the  way  of  sympathy,  you 
ought  not  to  imagine  that  I  have  been  altogether  so 
stoical  as  not  to  betray  some  feeling,  dear  father.  But 
the  paroxysm  is  past,  and  I  am  beginning  to  philoso 
phize.  I  hope,  cousin  Jack,  you  have  not  forgotten 
that  the  drawing-room  is  a  lady's  empire !" 

"I  have  respected  your  rights,  Miss  Effingharn, 
though,  with  a  wish  to  prevent  any  violence  to  youi 
tastes,  I  have  caused  sundry  antediluvian  paintings  arjC 
engravings  to  be  consigned  to  the " 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  171 

"  Garret  ?"  inquired  Eve,  so  quickly  as  to  interrupt 
the  speaker. 

"  Fire,"  coolly  returned  her  cousin.  "  The  garret 
is  now  much  too  good  for  them ;  that  part  of  the  house 
being  converted  into  sleeping-rooms  for  the  maids. 
Mademoiselle  Annette  would  go  into  hysterics,  were 
she  to  see  the  works  of  art,  that  satisfied  the  past 
generation  of  masters  in  this  country,  in  too  close  fami 
liarity  with  her  Louvre-ized  eyes." 

"  Point  du  tout,  monsieur,"  said  Mademoiselle  Vief- 
ville,  innocently ;  "  Annette  a  du  gout  dans  son  metier 
sans  doute,  but  she  is  too  well  bred  to  expect  impossi- 
bilites.  No  doubt  she  would  have  conducted  herself 
with  decorum." 

Every  body  laughed,  for  much  light-heartedness  pre 
vailed  at  that  board,  and  the  conversation  continued. 

"  I  shall  be  satisfied  if  Annette  escape  convulsions," 
Eve  added,  "  a  refined  taste  being  her  weakness ;  and, 
to  be  frank,  \vhat  I  recollect  of  the  works  you  men 
tion,  is  not  of  the  most  flattering  nature." 

"  And  yet,"  observed  Sir  George,  "  nothing  has  sur 
prised  me  more  than  the  respectable  state  of  the  arts 
of  engraving  and  painting  in  this  country.  It  was  un- 
looked  for,  and  the  pleasure  has  probably  been  in  pro 
portion  to  the  surprise." 

"  In  that  you  are  very  right,  Sir  George  Temple- 
more,"  John  Effingham  answered;  "  but  the  improve 
ment  is  of  very  recent  date.  He  who  remembers  an 
American  town  half  a  century  ago,  will  see  a  very 
different  thing  in  an  American  town  of  to-day ;  and 
this  is  equally  true  of  the  arts  you  mention,  with  the 
essential  difference  that  the  latter  are  taking  a  right 
direction  under  a  proper  instruction,  while  the  former 
are  taking  a  wrong  direction,  under  the  influence  of 
money,  that  has  no  instruction.  Had  I  left  much  of 
the  old  furniture,  or  any  of  the  old  pictures  in  the  Wig 
wam,  we  should  have  had  the  bland  features  of  Miss 


J72  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

Effingham  m  frowns,  instead  of  bewitching  smiles,  at 
this  very  moment." 

"  And  yet  I  have  seen  fine  old  furniture  in  this  coun 
try,  cousin  Jack." 

"  Very  true  ;  though  not  in  this  part  of  it.  The 
means  of  conveyance  were  wanting  half  a  century 
since,  and  few  people  risk  finery  of  any  sort  on  cor 
duroys.  This  very  house  had  some  respectable  old 
things,  that  were  brought  here  by  dint  of  money,  and 
they  still  remain ;  but  the  eighteenth  century  in  general, 
may  be  set  down  as  a  very  dark  antiquity  in  all  this 
region." 

When  the  repast  was  over,  Mr.  Effingham  led  his 
guests  and  daughter  through  the  principal  apartments, 
sometimes  commending,  and  sometimes  laughing,  at 
the  conceits  of  his  kinsman.  The  library  was  a  good 
sized  room ;  good  sized  at  least  for  a  country  in  which 
domestic  architecture,  as  well  as  public  architecture, 
is  still  in  the  chrysalis  state.  Its  walls  were  hung  with 
an  exceedingly  pretty  gothic  paper,  in  green,  but  over 
each  window  was  a  chasm  in  the  upper  border;  and 
as  this  border  supplied  the  arches,  the  unity  of  the  en 
tire  design  was  broken  in  no  less  than  four  places,  that 
being  the  precise  number  of  the  windows.  The  defect 
soon  attracted  the  eye  of  Eve,  and  she  was  not  slow 
in  demanding  an  explanation. 

"  The  deficiency  is  owing  to  an  American  accident," 
returned  her  cousin ;  "  one  of  those  calamities  of  which 
you  are  fated  to  experience  many,  as  the  mistress  of 
an  American  household.  No  more  of  the  border  was 
to  be  bought  in  the  country,  and  this  is  a  land  of  shops 
and  not  of  fabricants.  At  Paris,  Mademoiselle,  one 
would  send'to  the  paper-maker  for  a  supply ;  but,  alas  ! 
he  that  has  not  enough  of  a  thing  with  us,  is  as  badly 
off  as  if  he  had  none.  We  are  consumers,  and  not 
producers  of  works  of  art.  It  is  a  long  way  to  send 
to  France  for  ten  or  fifteen  feet  o^  paper  hangings. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  173 

and  yet  this  must  be  done,  or  my  beautiful  gothic 
arches  will  remain  forever  without  their  key-stones  !" 

"  One  sees  the  inconvenience  of  this,"  observed  Sir 
George  —  "we  feel  it,  even  in  England,  in  all  that 
relates  to  imported  things." 

"  And  we,  in  nearly  all  things,  but  food." 

"  And  does  not  this  show  that  America  can  never 
become  a  manufacturing  country  1"  asked  the  baronet, 
with  the  interest  an  intelligent  Englishman  ever  feels 
in  that  all-absorbing  question.  "  If  you  cannot  manu 
facture  an  article  as  simple  as  that  of  paper-hangings, 
would  it  not  be  well  to  turn  your  attention,  altogether, 
to  agriculture?" 

As  the  feeling  of  this  interrogatory  was  much  more 
apparent  than  its  logic,  smiles  passed  from  one  to  the 
other,  though  John  Effingham,  who  really  had  a  regard 
for  Sir  George,  was  content  to  make  an  evasive  reply, 
a  singular  proof  of  amity,  in  a  man  of  his  caustic 
temperament. 

The  survey  of  the  house,  on  the  whole,  proved  satis 
factory  to  its  future  mistress,  who  complained,  how 
ever,  that  it  was  furnished  too  much  like  a  town  resi- 
sidence. 

"For,"  she  added,  "you  will  remember,  cousin 
Jack,  that  our  visits  here  will  be  something  like  a  ml- 
leggiatura." 

"  Yes,  yes,  my  fair  lady ;  it  will  not  be  long  before 
your  Parisian  and  Roman  tastes  will  be  ready  to  pro 
nounce  the  whole  country  a  mlleggiatura  /" 

"This  is  the  penalty,  Eve,  one  pays  for  being  a 
Hajji,"  observed  Gracet  who  had  been  closely  watch 
ing  the  expression  of  the  others'  countenances;  for, 
agreeably  to  her  view  of  things,  the  Wigwam  wanted 
nothing  to  render  it  a  perfect  abode.  "The  things 
that  we  enjoy,  you  despise." 

"  That  is  an  argument,  my  dear  coz,  that  would 
apply  equally  well,  as  a  reason  for  preferring  brown 
sugar  to  white." 

15* 


174  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  In  coffee,  certainly,  Miss  Eve,"  put  in  the  atten 
tive  Aristabulus,  who  having  acquired  this  taste,  in 
virtue  of  an  economical  mother,  really  fancied  it  a 
pure  one.  "Every  body,  in  these  regions,  prefers  the 
brown  in  coffee." 

"  Oh,  mon  pere  et  ma  mere,  comme  je  vous  en  veux," 
said  Eve,  without  attending  to  the  nice  distinctions  of 
Mr.  Bragg,  which  savoured  a  little  too  much  of  the 
neophyte  in  cookery,  to  find  favour  in  the  present 
company,  "  comme  je  vous  en  veux  for  having  neglected 
so  many  beautiful  sites,  to  place  this  building  in  the 
very  spot  it  occupies." 

"  In  that  respect,  my  child,  we  may  rather  be  grate 
ful  at  finding  so  comfortable  a  house,  at  all.  Compared 
with  the  civilization  that  then  surrounded  it,  this  dwell 
ing  was  a  palace  at  the  time  of  its  erection ;  bearing 
some  such  relation  to  the  humbler  structures  around  it, 
as  the  chateau  bears  to  the  cottage.  Remember  that 
brick  had  never  before  been  piled  on  brick,  in  the 
walls  of  a  house,  in  all  this  region,  when  the  Wigwam 
was  constructed.  It  is  the  Temple  of  Neptune  of  Ot- 
sego,  if  not  of  all  the  surrounding  counties." 

Eve  pressed  to  her  lips  the  hand  she  was  holding  in 
both  her  own,  and  they  all  passed  out  cf  the  library 
into  another  room.  As  they  came  in  front  of  the  hall 
windows,  a  party  of  apprentice-boys  were  seen  coolly 
making  their  arrangements  to  amuse  themselves  with 
a  game  of  ball,  on  the  lawn  directly  in  front  of  the 
house. 

"  Surely,  Mr.  Bragg,"  said  the  owner  of  the  Wig 
wam,  with  more  displeasure  in  his  voice  than  was 
usual  for  one  of  his  regulated  mind,  "  you  do  not  coun 
tenance  this  liberty?" 

"Liberty,  sir!  —  I  am  an  advocate  for  liberty 
wherever  I  can  find  it.  Do  you  refer  to  the  young 
men  on  the  lawn,  Mr.  Effingham  ?" 

"  Certainly  to  them,  sir ;  and  permit  me  to  say,  I 
think  they  might  have  chosen  a  more  suitable  spot  for 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  175 

their  sports.  They  are  mistaking  liberties  for  liberty, 
I  fear." 

"  Why,  sir,  I  believe  they  have  always  played  ball 
in  that  precise  locality." 

"  Always! — I  can  assure  you  this  is  a  great  mistake. 
What  private  family,  placed  as  we  are  in  the  centre 
of  a  village,  would  allow  of  an  invasion  of  its  privacy 
in  this  rude  manner?  Well  may  the  house  be  termed 
a  Wigwam,  if  this  whooping  is  to  be  tolerated  before 
its  door." 

"  You  forget,  Ned,"  said  John  Effingham,  with  a 
sneer,  "  that  an  American  always  means  just  eighteen 
months.  Antiquity  is  reached  in  five  lustres,  and  the 
dark  ages  at  the  end  of  a  human  life.  I  dare  say  these 
amiable  young  gentlemen,  who  enliven  their  sports  with 
so  many  agreeable  oaths,  would  think  you  very  unrea 
sonable  and  encroaching  to  presume  to  tell  them  they 
are  unwelcome." 

"  To  own  the  truth,  Mr.  John,  it  would  be  downright 
unpopular." 

"  As  I  cannot  permit  the  ears  of  the  ladies  to  be 
offended  with  these  rude  brawls,  and  shall  never  con 
sent  to  have  grounds  that  are  so  limited,  and  which  so 
properly  belong  to  the  very  privacy  of  my  dwelling, 
invaded  in  this  coarse  manner,  I  beg,  Mr.  Bragg,  that 
you  will,  at  once,  desire  these  young  men  to  pursue 
their  sports  somewhere  else." 

Aristabulus  received  this  commission  with  a  very  ill 
grace ;  for,  while  his  native  sagacity  told  him  that  Mr. 
Effingham  was  right,  he  too  well  knew  the  loose  habits 
that  had  bee»  rapidly  increasing  in  the  country  during 
the  last  ten  years,  not  to  foresee  that  the  order  would 
do  violence  to  all  the  apprentices'  preconceived  no 
tions  of  their  immunities ;  for,  as  he  had  truly  stated, 
things  move  at  so  quick  a  pace  in  America,  and  popu 
lar  feeling  is  so  arbitrary,  that  a  custom  of  a  twelve 
months'  existence  is  deemed  sacred,  until  the  public, 
itself,  sees  fit  to  alter  it.  He  was  reluctantly  quitting 


176  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

the  party,  on  his  unpleasant  duty,  when  Mr.  Effingham 
turned  to  a  servant,  who  belonged  to  the  place,  and 
bade  him  go  to  the  village  barber,  and  desire  him  to 
come  to  the  Wigwam  to  cut  his  hair ;  Pierre,  who 
usually  performed  that  office  for  him,  being  busied 
in  unpacking  trunks. 

"  Never  mind,  Tom,"  said  Aristabulus  obligingly,  as 
he  took  up  his  hat ;  "  I  am  going  into  the  street,  and 
will  give  the  message  to  Mr.  Lather." 

"  I  cannot  think,  sir,  of  employing  you  on  such  a 
duty,"  hastily  interposed  Mr.  Effingham,  who  felt  a 
gentleman's  reluctance  to  impose  an  unsuitable  office 
on  any  of  his  dependants — "  Tom,  I  am  sure,  will  do 
me  the  favour." 

"  Do  not  name  it,  my  dear  sir ;  nothing  makes  me 
happier  than  to  do  these  little  errands,  and,  another 
time,  you  can  do  as  much  for  me." 

Aristabulus  now  went  his  way  more  cheerfully,  for 
he  determined  to  go  first  to  the  barber,  hoping  that 
some  expedient  might  suggest  itself,  by  means  of  which 
he  could  coax  the  apprentices  from  the  lawn,  and 
thus  escape  the  injury  to  his  popularity,  that  he  so 
much  dreaded.  It  is  true,  these  apprentices  were  not 
voters,  but  then  some  of  them  speedily  would  be,  and 
all  of  them,  moreover,  had  tongues,  an  instrument  Mr. 
Bragg  held  in  quite  as  much  awe  as  some  men  dread 
salt-petre.  In  passing  the  ball-players,  he  called  out 
in  a  wheedling  tone  to  their  ringleader,  a  notorious 
street  brawler — 

"A  fine  time  for  sport,  EHckey;  don't  you  think 
there  would  be  more  room  in  the  broad  street  than  on 
this  crowded  lawn,  where  you  lose  your  ball  so  often 
in  the  shrubbery?" 

"  This  place  will  do,  on  a  pinch,"  bawled  Dickey — 
"though  it  might  be  better.  If  it  warn't  for  that 
plagued  house,  we  couldn't  ask  for  a  better  ball-ground." 

"  I  don't  see,"  put  in  another,  "  what  folks  built  a 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  177 

house  just  in  that  spot  for;  it  has  spoilt  the  very  best 
play-ground  in  the  village." 

"  Some  people  have  their  notions  as  well  as  others," 
returned  Aristabulus ;  "  but,  gentlemen,  if  I  were  in 
your  place,  I  would  try  the  street ;  I  feel  satisfied  you 
would  find  it  much  the  most  agreeable  and  convenient." 

The  apprentices  thought  differently,  however,  or  they 
were  indisposed  to  the  change ;  and  so  they  recom 
menced  their  yells,  their  oaths,  and  their  game.  In 
the  mean  while,  the  party  in  the  house  continued  their 
examination  of  John  Effingham's  improvements  ;  and 
when  this  was  completed,  they  separated,  each  to  his 
or  her  own  room. 

Aristabulus  soon  reappeared  on  the  lawn ;  and,  ap 
proaching  the  ball-players,  he -began  to  execute  his 
commission,  as  he  conceived,  in  good  earnest.  Instead 
of  simply  saying,  however,  that  it  was  disagreeable  to 
the  owner  of  the  property  to  have  such  an  invasion  on 
his  privacy,  and  thus  putting  a  stop  to  the  intrusion  for 
the  future  as  well  as  at  the  present  moment,  he  believed 
some  address  necessary  to  attain  the  desired  end. 

"  Well,  Dickey,"  he  said,  "  there  is  no  accounting 
for  tastes ;  but,  in  my  opinion,  the  street  would  be  a 
much  better  place  to  play  ball  in  than  this  lawn.  I 
wonder  gentlemen  of  your  observation  should  be  satis 
fied  with  so  cramped  a  play-ground !" 

"  I  tell  you,  Squire  Bragg,  this  will  do,"  roared 
Dickey ;  "  we  are  in  a  hurry,  and  no  way  particular ; 
the  bosses  will  be  after  us  in  half  an  hour.  Heave 
away,  Sam." 

"  There  are  so  many  fences  hereabouts,"  continued 
Aristabulus,  with  an  air  of  indifference;  "it's  true 
the  village  trustees  say  there  shall  be  no  ball-playing 
in  the  street,  but  I  conclude  you  don't  much  mind  what 
they  think  or  threaten." 

"  Let  them  sue  for  that,  if  they  like,"  bawled  a  par 
ticularly  amiable  blackguard,  called  Peter,  who  struck 
his  ball  as  he  spoke,  quite  into  the  principal  street  of 


178  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

the  village.  "Who's  a  trustee,  that  he  should  tell 
gentlemen  where  they  are  to  play  ball !" 

•'  Sure  enough,"  said  Aristabulus,  "  and,  now,  by 
following  up  that  blow,  you  can  bring  matters  to  an 
issue.  I  think  the  law  very  oppressive,  and  you  can 
never  have  so  good  an  opportunity  to  bring  things  to  a 
crisis.  Besides,  it  is  very  aristocratic  to  play  bail 
among  roses  and  dahlias." 

The  bait  took;  for  what  apprentice — American  ap 
prentice,  in  particular — can  resist  an  opportunity  of 
showing  how  much  he  considers  himself  superior  to 
the  law  ?  Then  it  had  never  struck  any  of  the  party 
before,  that  it  was  vulgar  and  aristocratic  to  pursue 
the  sport  among  roses,  and  one  or  two  of  them 
actually  complained  that  they  had  pricked  their  fin 
gers,  in  searching  for  the  ball. 

"  I  know  Mr.  Effingham  will  be  very  sorry  to 
have  you  go,"  continued  Aristabulus,  following  up  his 
advantage;  "but  gentlemen  cannot  always  forego 
their  pleasures  for  other  folks." 

"  Who 's  Mr.  Effingham,  I  would  like  to  know  ?" 
cried  Joe  Wart.  "  If  he  wants  people  to  play  ball  on 
his  premises,  let  him  cut  down  his  roses.  Come,  gen 
tlemen,  I  conform  to  Squire  Bragg,  and  invite  you  all 
to  follow  me  into  the  street." 

As  the  lawn  was  now  evacuated,  en  masse,  Arista 
bulus  proceeded  with  alacrity  to  the  house,  and  went 
into  the  library,  where  Mr.  Effingham  was  patiently 
waiting  his  return. 

"  I  am  happy  to  inform  you,  sir,"  commenced  the 
ambassador,  "  that  the  ball-players  have  adjourned ; 
and  as  for  Mr.  Lather,  he  declines  your  proposition." 

"  Declines  my  proposition !" 

"  Yes,  sir ;  he  dislikes  to  come ;  for  he  thinks  it  will 
be  altogether  a  poor  operation.  His  notion  is,  that  if 
it  be  worth  his  while  to  come  up  to  the  Wigwam  to 
cut  your  hair,  it  may  be  worth  your  while  to  go  down 
to  the  shop,  to  have  it  cut.  Considering  the  matter  in 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  179 

all  its  bearings,  therefore,  he  concludes  he  would 
rather  not  engage  in  the  transaction  at  all." 

"  I  regret,  sir,  to  have  consented  to  your  taking  so 
disagreeable  a  commission,  and  regret  it  the  more,  now 
I  find  that  the  barber  is  disposed  to  be  troublesome." 

"  Not  at  all,  sir.  Mr.  Lather  is  a  good  man,  in  his 
way,  and  particularly  neighbourly.  By  the  way,  Mr. 
Effingham,  he  asked  me  to  propose  to  let  him  take 
down  your  garden  fence,  in  order  that  he  may  haul 
some  manure  on  his  potato  patch,  which  wants  it  dread 
fully,  he  says." 

"  Certainly,  sir.  I  cannot  possibly  object  to  his  haul 
ing  his  manure,  even  through  this  house,  should  he 
wish  it.  He  is  so  very  valuable  a  citizen,  and  one 
who  knows  his  own  business  so  well,  that  I  am  only 
surprised  at  the  moderation  of  his  request." 

Here  Mr.  Effingham  rose,  rang  the  bell  for  Pierre, 
and  went  to  his  own  room,  doubting,  in  his  own  mind, 
from  all  that  he  had  seen,  whether  this  was  really  the 
Templeton  he  had  known  in  his  youth,  and  whether  he 
was  in  his  own  house  or  not. 

As  for  Aristabulus,  who  saw  nothing  out  of  rule,  or 
contrary  to  his  own  notions  of  propriety,  in  what  had 
passed,  he  hurried  off  to  tell  the  barber,  who  was  so 
ignorant  of  the  first  duty  of  his  trade,  that  he  was  at 
liberty  to  pull  down  Mr.  Effingham's  fence,  in  order  to 
manure  his  own  potato  patch. 

Lest  the  reader  should  suppose  we  are  drawing  ca 
ricatures,  instead  of  representing  an  actual  condition 
of  society,  it  may  be  necessary  to  explain  that  Mr. 
Bragg  was  a  standing  candidate  for  popular  favour ; 
that,  like  Mr.  Dodge,  he  considered  every  thing  that 
presented  itself  in  the  name  of  the  public,  as  sacred 
and  paramount,  and  that  so  general  and  positive  was 
his  deference  for  majorities,  that  it  was  the  bias 
of  his  mind  to  think  half-a-dozen  always  in  the  right, 
as  opposed  to  one,  although  that  one,  agreeably  to  the 
great  decision  of  the  real  majority  of  the  entire  com- 


180  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

munity,  had  not  only  the  law  on  his  side,  but  all  the 
abstract  merits  of  the  disputed  question.  In  short,  to 
such  a  pass  of  freedom  had  Mr.  Bragg,  in  common 
with  a  large  class  of  his  countrymen,  carried  his  no 
tions,  that  he  had  really  begun  to  imagine  liberty  was 
all  means  and  no  end. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


"  In  sooth,  thou  wast  in  very  gracious  fooling  last  night,  when  thou 
epokcst  of  Pigrogromotus,  of  the  Vapians  passing  the  equinoctial  of  Queu- 
bus ;  't  was  very  good  i'  faith." SIR  ANDREW  AGUE-CHEEK. 


THE  progress  of  society,  it  has  just  been  said,  in  what 
is  termed  a  "  new  country,"  is  a  little  anomalous.  At 
the  commencement  of  a  settlement,  there  is  much  of 
that  sort  of  kind  feeling  and  mutual  interest,  which 
men  are  apt  to  manifest  towards  each  other,  when  they 
are  embarked  in  an  enterprise  of  common  hazards. 
The  distance  that  is  unavoidably  inseparable  from  edu 
cation,  habits  and  manners,  is  lessened  by  mutual  wants 
and  mutual  efforts;  and.the  gentleman,  even  while  he 
may  maintain  his  character  and  station,  maintains  them 
with  that  species  of  good-fellowship  and  familiarity, 
that  marks  the  intercourse  between  the  officer  and  the 
soldier,  in  an  arduous  campaign.  Men,  and  even  wo 
men,  break  bread  together,  and  otherwise  commingle, 
that,  in  different  circumstances,  would  be  strangers ; 
the  hardy  adventures,  and  rough  living  of  the  forest, 
apparently  lowering  the  pretensions  of  the  man  of  cul 
tivation  and  mere  mental  resources,  to  something  very 
near  the  level  of  those  of  the  man  of  physical  energy, 
and  manual  skill.  In  this  rude  intercourse,  the  parties 
meet,  as  it  might  be,  on  a  sort  of  neutral  ground,  one 
yielding  some  of  his  superiority,  and  the  other  laying 


HOME    A3    FOUND.  181 

claims  to  an  outward  show  of  equality,  that  he  secretly 
knows,  however,  is  the  result  of  the  peculiar  cir 
cumstances  in  which  he  is  placed.  In  short,  the  state 
of  society  is  favourable  to  the  claims  of  mere  animal 
force,  and  unfavourable  to  those  of  the  higher  quali 
ties. 

r.s  This  period  may  be  termed,  perhaps,  the  happiest  of 
the  first  century  of  a  settlement.  The  great  cares  of 
life  are  so  engrossing  and  serious,  that  small  vexations 
are  overlooked,  and  the  petty  grievances  that  would 
make  us  seriously  uncomfortable  in  a  more  regular 
state  of  society,  are  taken  as  matters  of  course,  or 
laughed  at  as  the  regular  and  expected  incidents  of  the 
day.  Good-will  abounds  ;  neighbour  comes  cheerfully 
to  the  aid  of  neighbour;  and  life  has  much  of  the  reck 
less  gaiety,  careless  association,  and  buoyant  merri 
ment  of  childhood.  It  is  found  that  they  who  have 
passed  through  this  probation,  usually  look  back  to  it 
with  regret,  and  are  fond  of  dwelling  on  the  rude 
scenes  and  ridiculous  events  that  distinguish  the  his 
tory  of  a  new  settlement,  as  the  hunter  is  known  to 
pine  for  the  forest. 

To  this  period  of  fun,  toil,  neighbourly  feeling  and 
adventure,  succeeds  another,  in  which  society  begins  to 
marshal  itself,  and  the  ordinary  passions  have  sway. 
Now  it  is,  that  we  see  the  struggles  for  place,  the 
heart-burnings  and  jealousies  of  contending  families, 
and  the  influence  of  mere  money.  Circumstances 
have  probably  established  the  local  superiority  of  a  few 
beyond  all  question,  and  the  condition  of  these  serves 
as  a  goal  for  the  rest  to  aim  at.  The  learned  profes 
sions,  the  ministry  included,  or  what,  by  courtesy,  are 
so  called,  take  precedence,  as  a  matter  of  course,  next 
to  wealth,  however,  when  wealth  is  at  all  supported  by- 
appearances.  Then  commence  those  gradations  of 
social  station,  that  set  institutions  at  defiance,  and 
which  as  necessarily  follow  civilization,  as  tastes  and 
habits  are  a  consequence  of  indulgence. 
16 


182  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

This  is,  perhaps,  the  least  inviting  condition  cf  so 
ciety  that  belongs  to  any  country  that  can  claim  to  be 
free  and  removed  from  barbarism.  The  tastes  are  too 
uncultivated  to  exercise  any  essential  influence;  and 
when  they  do  exist,  it  is  usually  with  the  pretension 
and  effort  that  so  commonly  accompany  infant  know 
ledge.  The  struggle  is  only  so  much  the  more  severe, 
in  consequence  of  the  late  pele  mele,  while  men  lay 
claim  to  a  consideration  that  would  seem  beyond  their 
reach,  in  an  older  and  more  regulated  community.  It 
is  during  this  period  that  manners  suffer  the  most,  since 
they  want  the  nature  and  feeling  of  the  first  condition, 
while  they  are  exposed  to  the  rudest  assaults  of  the 
coarse-minded  and  vulgar ;  for,  as  men  usually  defer  to 
a  superiority  that  is  long  established,  there  being  a 
charm  about  antiquity  that  is  sometimes  able  to  repress 
the  passions,  in  older  communities  the  marshalling  of 
time  quietly  regulates  what  is  here  the  subject  of  strife. 

What  has  just  been  said,  depends  on  a  general  and 
natural  principle,  perhaps;  but  the  state  of  society  we 
are  describing  has  some  features  peculiar  to  itself.  The 
civilization  of  America,  even  in  its  older  districts, 
which  supply  the  emigrants  to  the  newer  regions,  is 
unequal ;  one  state  possessing  a  higher  level  than 
another.  Coming  as  it  does,  from  different  parts  of 
this  vast  country,  the  population  of  a  new  settlement, 
while  it  is  singularly  homogenous  for  the  circumstances, 
necessarily  brings  with  it  its  local  peculiarities.  If  to 
these  elements  be  added  a  sprinkling  of  Europeans  of 
various  nations  and  conditions,  the  effects  of  the  com 
mingling,  and  the  temporary  social  struggles  that  fol 
low,  will  occasion  no  surprise. 

The  third  and  last  condition  of  society  in  a  "  new 
country,"  is  that  in  which  the  influence  of  the  particu 
lar  causes  enumerated  ceases,  and  men  and  things 
come  within  the  control  of  more  general  and  regular 
laws.  The  effect,  of  course,  is  to  leave  the  commu 
nity  in  possession  of  a  civilization  that  conforms  to 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  183 

that  of  the  whole  region,  be  it  higher  or  be  it  lower, 
and  with  the  division  into  castes  that  are  more  or  less 
rigidly  maintained,  according  to  circumstances. 

The  periods,  as  the  astronomers  call  the  time  taken 
in  a  celestial  revolution,  of  the  two  first  of  these 
epochs  in  the  history  of  a  settlement,  depend  very  much 
on  its  advancement  in  wealth  and  in  numbers.  In 
some  places,  the  pastoral  age,  or  that  of  good  fellow 
ship,  continues  for  a  whole  life,  to  the  obvious  retro 
gression  of  the  people,  in  most  of  the  higher  qualities, 
but  to  their  manifest  advantage,  however,  in  the  plea 
sures  of  the  time  being ;  while,  in  others,  it  passes 
away  rapidly,  like  the  buoyant  animal  joys,  that  live 
their  time,  between  fourteen  and  twenty. 

The  second  period  is  usually  of  longer  duration,  the 
migratory  habits  of  the  American  people  keeping  so 
ciety  more  unsettled  than  might  otherwise  prove  to 
be  the  case.  It  may  be  said  never  to  cease  entirely, 
until  the  great  majority  of  the  living  generation  are 
natives  of  the  region,  knowing  no  other  means  of  com 
parison  than  those  under  which  they  have  passed  their 
days.  Even  when  this  is  the  case,  there  is  commonly 
so  large  an  infusion  of  the  birds  of  passage,  men  who 
are  adventurers  in  quest  of  advancement,  and  who 
live  without  the  charities  of  a  neighbourhood,  as  they 
may  be  said  almost  to  live  without  a  home,  that  there 
is  to  be  found,  for  a  long  time,  a  middle  state  of  socie 
ty,  during  which  it  may  well  be  questioned  whether  a 
community  belongs  to  the  second  or  to  the  third  of  the 
periods  named. 

Templeton  was  properly  in  this  equivocal  condition, 
for  while  the  third  generation  of  the  old  settlers  were 
in  active  life,  so  many  passers-by  came  and  went,  that 
the  influence  of  the  latter  nearly  neutralized  that  of 
time  arid  the  natural  order  of  things.  Its  population 
was  pretty  equally  divided  between  the  descendants 
of  the  earlier  inhabitants,  and  those  who  flitted  like 
swallows  and  other  migratory  birds.  All  of  those  who 


184  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

had  origina«lly  entered  the  region  in  the  pride  of  man 
hood,  and  had  been  active  in  converting  the  wilderness 
into  the  abodes  of  civilized  men,  if  they  had  not  been 
literally  gathered  to  their  fathers,  in  a  physical  sense 
had  been  laid,  the  first  of  their  several  races,  beneath 
those  sods  that  were  to  cover  the  heads  of  so  many  of 
their  descendants.  A  few  still  remained  among  those 
who  entered  the  wilderness  in  young  manhood,  but  the 
events  of  the  first  period  we  have  designated,  and 
which  we  have  imperfectly  recorded  in  another  work, 
were  already  passing  into  tradition.  Among  these 
original  settlers  some  portion  of  the  feeling  that  had 
distinguished  their  earliest  communion  with  their  neigh 
bours  yet  continued,  and  one  of  their  greatest  delights 
was  to  talk  of  the  hardships  and  privations  of  their 
younger  days,  as  the  veteran  loves  to  discourse  of  his 
marches,  battles,  scars,  and  sieges.  It  would  be  too 
much  to  say  that  these  persons  viewed  the  more  ephe 
meral  part  of  the  population  with  distrust,  for  their 
familiarity  with  changes  accustomed  them  to  new 
faces ;  but  they  had  a  secret  inclination  for  each  other, 
preferred  those  who  could  enter  the  most  sincerely  into 
their  own  feelings,  and  naturally  loved  that  communion 
best,  where  they  found  the  most  sympathy.  To  this 
fragment  of  the  community  belonged  nearly  all  there 
was  to  be  found  of  that  sort  of  sentiment  which  is  con 
nected  with  locality ;  adventure,  with  them,  supplying 
the  place  of  time ;  while  the  natives  of  the  spot,  want 
ing  in  the  recollections  that  had  so  many  charms  for 
their  fathers,  were  not  yet  brought  sufficiently  within 
the  influence  of  traditionary  interest,  to  feel  that  hal 
lowed  sentiment  in  its  proper  force.  As  opposed  in 
feeling  to  these  relics  of  the  olden  time,  were  the  birds 
of  passage  so  often  named,  a  numerous  and  restless 
class,  that,  of  themselves,  are  almost  sufficient  to  destroy 
whatever  there  is  of  poetry,  or  of  local  attachment,  in 
any  region  where  they  resort. 

In  Templeton  and  its  adjacent  district,  however,  the 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  185 

two  hostile  influences  might  be  said  to  be  nearly  equal, 
the  descendants  of  the  fathers  of  the  country  beginning 
to  make  a  manly  stand  against  the  looser  sentiment, 
or  the  want  of  sentiment,  that  so  singularly  distin 
guishes  the  migratory  bands.  The  first  did  begin  to 
consider  the  temple  in  which  their  fathers  had  wor 
shipped  more  hallowed  than  strange  altars ;  the  sods 
that  covered  their  fathers'  heads  more  sacred  than  the 
clods  that  were  upturned  by  the  plough;  and  the 
places  of  their  childhood  and  childish  sports  dearer 
than  the  highway  trodden  by  a  nameless  multitude. 

Such,  then,  were  the  elements  of  the  society  into 
which  we  have  now  ushered  the  reader,  and  with 
which  it  will  be  our  duty  to  make  him  better  acquainted, 
as  we  proceed  in  the  regular  narration  of  the  incidents 
of  our  tale. 

The  return  of  the  Effinghams,  after  so  long  an  ab 
sence,  naturally  produced  a  sensation  in  so  small  a 
place,  and  visiters  began  to  appear  in  the  Wigwam  as 
soon  as  propriety  would  allow.  Many  false  rumours 
prevailed,  quite  as  a  matter  of  course :  and  Eve,  it  was 
reported,  was  on  the  point  of  being  married  to  no  less 
than  three  of  the  inmates  of  her  father's  house,  within 
the  first  ten  days,  viz :  Sir  George  Templemore,  Mr. 
Powis,  and  Mr.  Bragg ;  the  latter  story  taking  its  rise 
in  some  precocious  hopes  that  had  escaped  the  gentle 
man  himself,  in  the  "  excitement"  of  helping  to  empty 
a  bottle  of  bad  Breton  wine,  that  was  dignified  with 
the  name  of  champagne.  But  these  tales  revived  and 
died  so  often,  in  a  state  of  society  in  which  matrimony 
is  so  general  a  topic  with  the  young  of  the  gentler  sex, 
that  they  brought  with  them  their  own  refutation. 

The  third  day,  in  particular,  after  the  arrival  of  our 
party,  was  a  reception  day  at  the  Wigwam  ;  the  gen 
tlemen  and  ladies  making  it  a  point  to  be  at  home  and 
disengaged,  after  twelve  o'clock,  in  order  to  do  honour 
to  their  guests.  One  of  the  first  who  made  his  appear 
ance  was  a  Mr.  Howel,  a  bachelor  of  about  the  same 
16* 


186  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

age  as  Mr.  Effingham,  and  a  man  of  easy  fortune  and 
quiet  habits.  Nature  had  done  more  towards  making 
Mr.  Howel  a  gentleman,  than  either  cultivation  or  as 
sociation ;  for  he  had  passed  his  entire  life,  with  very 
immaterial  exceptions,  in  the  valley  of  Templeton, 
where,  without  being  what  could  be  called  a  student, 
or  a  scholar,  he  had  dreamed  away  his  existence  in  an 
indolent  communication  with  the  current  literature  of 
the  day.  He  was  fond  of  reading,  and  being  indis 
posed  to  contention,  or  activity  of  any  sort,  his  mind 
had  admitted  the  impressions  of  what  he  perused,  as 
the  stone  receives  a  new  form  by  the  constant  fall  of 
drops  of  water.  Unfortunately  for  Mr.  Howel,  he  un 
derstood  no  language  but  his  mother  tongue ;  and,  as 
all  his  reading  was  necessarily  confined  to  English 
books,  he  had  gradually,  and  unknown  to  himself,  in 
his  moral  nature  at  least,  got  to  be  a  mere  reflection  of 
those  opinions,  prejudices,  and  principles,  if  such  a 
word  can  properly  be  used  for  such  a  state  of  the  mind, 
that  it  had  suited  the  interests  or  passions  of  England  to 
promulgate  by  means  of  the  press.  A  perfect  bonne  foi 
prevailed  in  all  his  notions  ;  and  though  a  very  modest 
man  by  nature,  so  very  certain  was  he  that  his  autho 
rity  was  always  right,  that  he  was  a  little  apt  to  be 
dogmatical  on  such  points  as  he  thought  his  authors 
appeared  to  think  settled.  Between  John  Effingham 
and  Mr.  Howel,  there  were  constant  amicable^skir- 
mishes  in  the  way  of  discussion ;  for,  while  the  latter 
was  so  dependent,  limited  in  knowledge  by  unavoidable 
circumstances,  and  disposed  to  an  innocent  credulity, 
the  first  was  original  in  his  views,  accustomed  to  see 
and  think  for  himself,  and,  moreover,  a  little  apt  to  esti 
mate  his  own  advantages  at  their  full  value. 

"  Here  comes  our  good  neighbour,  and  my  old  school 
fellow,  Tom  Howel/'  said  Mr.  Effingham,  looking  out 
at  a  window,  and  perceiving  the  person  mentioned 
crossing  the  little  lawn  in  front  of  the  house,  by  fol 
lowing  a  winding  foot-path — "  as  kind-hearted  a  man, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  187 

Sir  George  Templemore,  as  exists ;  one  who  is  really 
American,  for  he  has  scarcely  quitted  the  county  half- 
a-dozen  times  in  his  life,  and  one  of  the  honestest  fel 
lows  of  my  acquaintance." 

"  Ay,"  put  in  John  Effingham,  "  as  real  an  American 
as  any  man  can  be,  who  uses  English  spectacles  for 
all  he  looks  at,  English  opinions  for  ail  he  says,  English 
prejudices  for  all  he  condemns,  and  an  English  palate 
for  all  he  tastes.  American,  quotha !  The  man  is  no 
more  American  than  the  Times'  newspaper,  or  Charing 
Cross !  He  actually  made  a  journey  to  New- York, 
last  war,  to  satisfy  himself  with  his  own  eyes  that  a 
Yankee  frigate  had  really  brought  an  Englishman 
into  port." 

"  His  English  predilections  will  be  no  fault  in  my 
eyes,"  said  the  baronet,  smiling — "  and  I  dare  say  we 
shall  be  excellent  friends." 

"  I  am  sure  Mr.  Howel  is  a  very  agreeable  man," 
added  Grace — "  of  all  in  your  Templeton  coterie,  he  is 
my  greatest  favourite." 

"  Oh !  I  foresee  a  tender  intimacy  between  Temple- 
more  and  Howel,"  rejoined  John  Effingham;  "and 
sundry  wordy  wars  between  the  latter  and  Miss  Effing 
ham." 

"  In  this  you  do  me  injustice,  cousin  Jack.  I  remem 
ber  Mr.  Howel  well,  and  kindly ;  for  he  was  ever 
wont  to  indulge  my  childish  whims,  when  a  girl." 

"  The  man  is  a  second  Burchell,  and,  I  dare  say, 
never  came  to  the  Wigwam  when  you  were  a  child, 
without  having  his  pockets  stuffed  with  cakes,  or  bon 
bons." 

The  meeting  was  cordial,  Mr.  Howel  greeting  the 
gentlemen  like  a  warm  friend,  and  expressing  great 
delight  at  the  personal  improvements  that  had  been 
made  in  Eve,  between  the  ages  of  eight  and  twenty. 
John  Effingham  was  no  more  backward  than  the  others, 
for  he,  too,  liked  their  simple-minded,  kind-hearted,  but 
credulous  neighbour. 


188  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  You  are  welcome  back — you  are  welcome  back,r 
added  Mr.  Howel,  blowing  his  nose,  in  order  to  con 
ceal  the  tears  that  were  gathering  in  his  eyes.  "  I  did 
think  of  going  to  New- York  to  meet  you,  but  the  dis 
tance  at  my  time  of  life  is  very  serious.  Age,  gentle 
men,  seems  to  be  a  stranger  to  you." 

"  And  yet  we,  who  are  both  a  few  months  older  than 
yourself,  Howel,"  returned  Mr.  Effingham,  kindly, 
"  have  managed  to  overcome  the  distance  you  have 
just  mentioned,  in  order  to  come  and  see  you  /" 

"  Ay,  you  are  great  travellers,  gentlemen,  very  great 
travellers,  and  are  accustomed  to  motion. — Been  quite 
as  far  as  Jerusalem,  I  hear !" 

"Into  its  very  gates,  my  good  friend;  and  I  wish, 
with  all  my  heart,  we  had  had  you  in  our  company. 
Such  a  journey  might  cure  you  of  the  home-malady." 

"  I  am  a  fixture,  and  never  expect  to  look  upon  the 
ocean,  now.  I  did,  at  one  period  of  my  life,  fancy 
such  an  event  might  happen,  but  I  have  finally  aban 
doned  all  hope  on  that  subject.  Well,  Miss  Eve,  of  all 
the  countries  in  which  you  have  dwelt,  to  which  do  you 
give  the  preference  ?" 

"  I  think  Italy  is  the  general  favourite,"  Eve  answer 
ed,  with  a  friendly  smile ;  "  although  there  are  some 
agreeable  things  peculiar  to  almost  every  country." 

"  Italy ! — Well,  that  astonishes  me  a  good  deal !  I 
never  knew  there  was  any  thing  particularly  interest 
ing  about  Italy !  I  should  have  expected  you  to  say, 
England." 

"England  is  a  fine  country,  too,  certainly;  but  it 
wants  many  things  that  Italy  enjoys." 

"Well,  now,  what?"  said  Mr.  Howel,  shifting  his 
legs  from  one  knee  to  the  other,  in  order  to  be  more 
convenient  to  listen,  or,  if  necessary,  to  object.  "  What 
can  Italy  possess,  that  England  does  not  enjoy  in  a 
still  greater  degree  ?" 

"  Its  recollections,  for  one  thing,  and  all  that  interest 
which  time  and  great  events  throw  around  a  region." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  189 

"  And  is  England  wanting  in  recollections  and  great 
events  ?  Are  there  not  the  Conqueror  1  or,  if  you 
will,  King  Alfred?  and  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  Shak- 
speare — mink  of  Shakspeare,  young  lady — and  Sir 
Walter  Scott,  and  the  Gun-Powder  Plot;  and  Crom 
well,  Oliver  Cromwell,  my  dear  Miss  Eve ;  and  West 
minster  Abbey,  and  London  Bridge,  and  George  IV., 
the  descendant  of  a  line  of  real  kings, — what,  in  the 
name  of  Heaven,  can  Italy  possess,  to  equal  the  inte 
rest  one  feels  in  such  things  as  these  ?" 

"  They  are  very  interesting  no  doubt ;"  said  Eve, 
endeavouring  not  to  smile — "  but  Italy  has  its  relics  of 
former  ages  too ;  you  forget  the  Cassars." 

"  Very  good  sort  of  persons  for  barbarous  times,  I 
dare  say,  but  what  can  they  be  to  the  English  mo- 
narchs  1  I  would  rather  look  upon  a  bond  fide  English 
king,  than  see  all  the  Caesars  that  ever  lived.  I  never 
can  think  any  man  a  real  king  but  the  king  of  Eng 
land." 

"  Not  King  Solomon !"  cried  John  Effingham. 

"Oh!  he  was  a  Bible  king,  and  one  never  thinks 
of  them.  Italy !  well,  this  I  did  not  expect  from  your 
father's  daughter !  Your  great-great-great-grandfather 
must  have  been  an  Englishman  born,  Mr.  Effingham  1" 

"  I  have  reason  to  think  he  was,  sir." 

"  And  Milton,  and  Dryden,  and  Newton,  and  Locke ! 
These  are  prodigious  names,  and  worth  all  the  Caesars 
put  together.  And  Pope,  too ;  what  have  they  got  in 
Italy  to  compare  to  Pope  ]" 

"  They  have  at  least  the  Pope,"  said  Eve,  laughing. 

"  And,  then,  there  are  the  Boar's  Head  in  East-Cheap ; 
and  the  Tower;  and  Queen  Anne,  and  all  the  wits  ol 
her  reign  ;  and — and — and  Titus  Gates ;  and  Bos  worth 
Field ;  and  Smithfield,  where  the  martyrs  were  burned, 
and  a  thousand  more  spots  and  persons  of  intense 
interest  in  Old  England  !" 

"  Quite  true,"  said  John  Effingham,  with  an  air  of 


190  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

sympathy — "  but,  Howe],  you  have  forgotten  Peeping 
Tom  of  Coventry,  and  the  climate !" 

"  And  Holyrood-House ;  and  York-Minster  ;  and  St. 
Paul's ;"  continued  the  worthy  Mr.  Howel,  too  much 
bent  on  a  catalogue  of  excellencies,  that  to  him  were 
sacred,  to  heed  the  interruption,  "  and,  above  all,  Wind 
sor  Castle.  What  is  there  in  the  world  to  equal  Wind 
sor  Castle  as  a  royal  residence  ?" 

Want  of  breath  now  gave  Eve  an  opportunity  to 
reply,  and  she  seized  it  with  an  eagerness  that  she  was 
the  first  to  laugh  at  herself,  afterwards. 

"  Caserta  is  no  mean  house,  Mr.  Howel ;  and,  in  my 
poor  judgment,  there  is  more  real  magnificence  in  its 
great  stair-case,  than  in  all  Windsor  Castle  united,  if 
you  except  the  chapel." 
"  But,  St.  Paul's  !" 

"  Why,  St.  Peter's  may  be  set  down,  quite  fairly,  I 
think,  for  its  pendant  at  least." 

"True,  the  Catholics  do  say  so;"  returned  Mr. 
Howel,  with  the  deliberation  one  uses  when  he  greatly 
distrusts  his  own  concession  ;  "  but  I  have  always  con 
sidered  it  one  of  their  frauds.  I  don't  think  there  can 
be  any  thing  finer  than  St.  Paul's.  Then  there  are  the 
noble  ruins  of  England !  They,  you  must  admit,  are 
unrivalled." 

"  The  Temple  of  Neptune,  at  Psestum,  is  commonly 
thought  an  interesting  ruin,  Mr.  Howel." 

"  Yes,  yes,  for  a  temple,  I  dare  say ;  though  I  do  not 
remember  to  have  ever  heard  of  it  before.  But  no 
temple  can  ever  compare  to  a  ruined  abbey  /" 

"  Taste  is  an  arbitrary  thing,  Tom  Howel,  as  you 
and  I  know  when  as  boys  we  quarrelled  about  the  bea'uty 
of  our  ponies,"  said  Mr.  Effingham,  willing  to  put  an 
end  to  a  discussion  that  he  thought  a  little  premature, 
after  so  long  an  absence.  "  Here  are  two  young 
friends  who  shared  the  hazards  of  our  late  passage 
with  us,  and  to  whom,  in  a  great  degree,  we  owe  our 
present  happy  security,  and  I  am  anxious  to  make  you 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  19 

acquainted  with  them.  This  is  our  countryman,  Mr. 
Povvis,  and  this  is  an  English  friend,  who,  I  am  cer 
tain,  will  be  happy  to  know  so  warm  an  admirer  of  his 
own  country — Sir  George  Templemore." 

Mr.  Hovvel  had  never  before  seen  a  titled  English 
man,  and  he  was  taken  so  much  by  surprise  that  he 
made  his  salutations  rather  awkwardly.  As  both  the 
young  men,  however,  met  him  with  the  respectful  ease 
that  denotes  familiarity  with  the  world,  he  soon  reco 
vered  his  self-possession. 

"  I  hope  you  have  brought  back  with  you  a  sound 
American  heart,  Miss  Eve,"  resumed  the  guest,  as  soon 
as  this  little  interruption  had  ceased.  "  We  have  had 
sundry  rumours  of  French  Marquisses,  and  German 
Barons ;  but  I  have,  all  along,  trusted  too  much  to  your 
patriotism  to  believe  you  would  marry  a  foreigner." 

"  I  hope  you  except  Englishmen,"  cried  Sir  George, 
gaily:  "  we  are  almost  the  same  people." 

"  I  am  proud  to  hear  you  say  so,  sir.  Nothing  flat 
ters  me  more  than  to  be  thought  English;  and  I  cer 
tainly  should  not  have  accused  Miss  Effingham  of  a 
want  of  love  of  country,  had " 

"  She  married  half-a-dozen  Englishmen,"  interrupted 
John  Effingham,  who  saw  that  the  old  theme  was  in 
danger  of  being  revived.  "But,  Howel,  you  have 
paid  me  no  compliments  on  the  changes  in  the  house. 
I  hope  they  are  to  your  taste." 

'•  A  little  too  French,  Mr.  John." 

"French! — There  is  not  a  French  feature  in  the 
whole  animal.  What  has  put  such  a  notion  into  your 
head?" 

"  It  is  the  common  opinion,  and  I  confess  I  should 
like  the  building  better  were  it  less  continental." 

"  Why,  my  old  friend,  it  is  a  nondescript-original — 
Effingham  upon  Doolittle,  if  you  will ;  and,  as  for  mo- 
dels,  it  is  rather  more  English  than  any  thing  else." 

"  Well,  Mr.  John,  I  am  glad  to  hear  this,  for  I  do 
confess  to  a  disposition  rather  to  like  the  house.  I  am 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


dying  to  know,  Miss  Eve,  if  you  saw  all  our  distin 
guished  contemporaries  when  in  Europe?  —  That  to 
me,  would  be  one  of  the  greatest  delights  of  travel 
ling!" 

"  To  say  that  we  saw  them  all,  might  be  too  much  ; 
though  we  certainly  did  meet  with  many." 

"  Scott,  of  course." 

"  Sir  Walter  we  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting,  a  few 
times,  in  London." 

"And  Southey,  and  Coleridge,  and  Wordsworth, 
and  Moore,  and'  Bulwer,  and  D'Israeli,  and  Rogers, 
and  Campbell,  and  the  grave  of  Byron,  and  Horace 
Smith,  and  Miss  Landon,  and  Barry  Cornwall,  and  —  " 

"  Cum  multis  aliis"  put  in  John  Effingham,  again, 
by  way  of  arresting  the  torrent  of  names.  "  Eve  saw 
many  of  these,  and,  as  Tubal  told  Shylock,  «  we  often 
came  where  we  did  hear'  of  the  rest.  But  you  say 
nothing,  friend  Tom,  of  Goethe,  and  Tieck,  and  Schle- 
gel,  and  La  Martine,  Chateaubriant,  Hugo,  Delavigne, 
Mickiewicz,  Nota,  Manzoni,  Niccolini,  &c.  &c.  &c. 
&c.  &c.  &c." 

Honest,  well-meaning  Mr.  Howel,  listened  to  the 
catalogue  that  the  other  ran  volubly  over,  in  silent 
wonder  ;  for,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  of  these 
distinguished  men,  he  had  never  even  heard  of  them  ; 
and,  in  the  simplicity  of  his  heart,  unconsciously  to 
himself,  he  had  got  to  believe  that  there  was  no  great 
personage  still  living,  of  whom  he  did  not  know  some 
thing. 

"  Ah,  here  comes  young  Wenham,  by  way  of  pre 
serving  the  equilibrium,"  resumed  John  Effingham, 
looking  out  of  a  window  —  "  I  rather  think  you  must 
have  forgotten  him,  Ned,  though  you  remember  his 
father,  beyond  question." 

Mr.  Effingham  and  his  cousin  went  out  into  the  hall 
to  receive  the  new  guest,  with  whom  the  latter  had 
become  acquainted  while  superintending  the  repairs  of 
the  Wigwam. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  103 

Mr.  Wenham  was  the  son  of  a  successful  lawyer  in 
the  county,  and,  being  an  only  child,  he  had  also  suc 
ceeded  to  an  easy  independence.  His  age,  however, 
brought  him  rather  into  the  generation  to  which  Eve 
belonged,  than  into  that  of  the  father;  and,  if  Mr. 
Howel  was  a  reflection,  or  rather  a  continuation,  of 
all  the  provincial  notions  that  America  entertained  of 
England  forty  years  ago,  Mr.  Wenham  might  almost 
be  said  to  belong  to  the  opposite  school,  and  to  be  as 
ultra- American,  as  his  neighbour  was  ultra-British. — 
If  there  is  la  jeune  France,  there  is  also  la  jeune  Jlme- 
rique,  although  the  votaries  of  the  latter  march  with 
less  hardy  steps  than  the  votaries  of  the  first.  Mr. 
Wenham  fancied  himself  a  paragon  of  national  inde 
pendence,  and  was  constantly  talking  of  American  ex 
cellencies,  though  the  ancient  impressions  still  lingered 
in  his  moral  system,  as  men  look  askance  for  the  ghosts 
which  frightened  their  childhood  on  crossing  a  church 
yard  in  the  dark.  John  Effingham  knew  the  penchant 
of  the  young  man,  and  when  he  said  that  ne  came 
happily  to  preserve  the  equilibrium,  he  alluded  to  this 
striking  difference  in  the  characters  of  their  two  friends. 

The  introductions  and  salutations  over,  we  shall  re 
sume  the  conversation  that  succeeded  in  the  drawing- 
room. 

"You  must  be  much  gratified,  Miss  Effingham," 
observed  Mr.  Wenham,  who,  like  a  true  American, 
being  a  young  man  himself,  supposed  it  de  rigueur  to 
address  a  young  lady  in  preference  to  any  other  pre 
sent, — "  with  the  great  progress  made  by  our  country 
since  you  went  abroad." 

Eve  simply  answered  that  her  extreme  youth,  when 
she  left  home,  had  prevented  her  from  retaining  any 
precise  notions  on  such  subjects. 

"  I  dare  say  it  is  all  very  true,"  she  added,  "  but  one, 
like  myself,  who  remembers  only  older  countries,  is,  I 
think,  a  little  more  apt  to  be  struck  with  the  deficiencies. 


194  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

than  with  what  may,  in  truth,  be  improvements,  though 
they  still  fall  short  of  excellence." 

Mr.  Wenham  looked  vexed,  or  indignant  would  be 
a  better  word,  but  he  succeeded  in  preserving  his  cool 
ness — a  thing  that  is  not  always  easy  to  one  of  pro 
vincial  habits  and  provincial  education,  when  he  finds 
his  own  beau  ideal  lightly  estimated  by  others. 

"  Miss  Effingham  must  discover  a  thousand  imper 
fections."  said  Mr.  Howel,  "  coming,  as  she  does*  di 
rectly  from  England.  That  music,  now," — alluding  to 
the  sounds  of  a  flute  that  were  heard  through  the  open 
windows,  coming  from  the  adjacent  village — "  must  be 
rude  enough  to  her  ear,  after  the  music  of  London." 

"  The  street  music  of  London  is  certainly  among 
the  best,  if  not  the  very  best,  in  Europe,"  returned  Eve, 
with  a  glance  of  the  eye  at  the  baronet,  that  caused 
him  to  smile,  "  and  I  think  this  fairly  belongs  to  the 
class,  being  so  freely  given  to  the  neighbourhood." 

"  Have  you  read  the  articles  signed  Minerva,  in  the 
Hebdomad,  Miss  Effingham,"  inquired  Mr.  Wenham. 
who  was  determined  to  try  the  young  lady  on  a  point 
of  sentiment,  having  succeeded  so  ill  in  his  first  attempt 
to  interest  her — "  they  are  generally  thought  to  be  a 
great  acquisition  to  American  literature." 

"Well,  Wenham,  you  are  a  fortunate  man,"  inter 
posed  Mr.  Howel,  "  if  you  can  find  any  literature  in 
America,  to  add  to,  or  to  substract  from.  Beyond  al 
manacs,  reports  of  cases  badly  got  up,  and  newspaper 
verses,  I  know  nothing  that  deserves  such  a  name." 

"  We  may  not  print  on  as  fine  paper,  Mr.  Howel,  or 
do  up  the  books  in  as  handsome  binding  as  other  peo 
ple,"  said  Mr.  Wenham,  bridling  and  looking  grave, 
"but  so  far  as  sentiments  are  concerned,  or  sound 
sense,  American  literature  need  turn  its  back  on  no 
literature  of  the  day." 

"  By  the  way,  Mr.  Effingham,  you  were  in  Russia ; 
did  you  happen  to  see  the  Emperor  ?" 

"  I  had  that  pleasure,  Mr.  Howel." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  195 

"  And  is  he  really  the  monster  we  have  been  taught 
to  believe  him  ?" 

"  Monster !"  exclaimed  the  upright  Mr.  Effingham, 
fairly  recoiling  a  step  in  surprise.  "  In  what  sense  a 
monster,  my  worthy  friend  ?  surely  not  in  a  physical  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know  that.  I  have  somehow  got  the  no 
tion  he  is  any  thing  but  handsome.  A  mean,  butcher 
ing,  bloody-minded  looking  little  chap,  Pll  engage." 

"  You  are  libelling  one  of  the  finest-looking  men  of 
the  age." 

"  I  think  I  would  submit  it  to  a  jury.  I  cannot  be 
lieve,  after  what  I  have  read  of  him  in  the  English 
publications,  that  he  is  so  very  handsome." 

"  But,  my  good  neighbour,  these  English  publications 
must  be  wrong ;  prejudiced  perhaps,  or  even  malig 
nant." 

"  Oh !  I  am  not  the  man  to  be  imposed  on  in  that 
way.  Besides,  what  motive  could  an  English  writer 
have  for  belying  an  Emperor  of  Russia  ?" 

"  Sure  enough,  what  motive !"  exclaimed  John  Ef 
fingham. — "  You  have  your  answer,  Ned  !" 

"  But  you  will  remember,  Mr.  Howel,"  Eve  inter 
posed,  "  that  we  have  seen  the  Emperor  Nicholas." 

"  I  dare  say,  Miss  Eve,  that  your  gentle  nature  was 
disposed  to  judge  him  as  kindly  as  possible ;  and,  then, 
I  think  most  Americans,  ever  since  the  treaty  of 
Ghent,  have  been  disposed  to  view  all  Russians  too 
favourably.  No,  no ;  I  am  satisfied  with  the  account 
of  the  English ;  they  live  much  nearer  to  St.  Peters 
burg  than  we  do,  and  they  are  more  accustomed,  too, 
to  give  accounts  of  such  matters." 

"  But  living  nearer,  Tom  Howel,"  cried  Mr.  Effing- 
ham,  with  unusual  animation,  "  in  such  a  case,  is  of  no 
avail,  unless  one  lives  near  enough  to  see  with  his  own 
eyes." 

"  Well — well — my  good  friend,  we  will  talk  of  this 
another  time.  I  know  your  disposition  to  look  at  every 
body  with  lenient  eyes.  I  will  now  wish  you  all  a 


196  HOME    AS    FOUND. 


f^od  morning,  and  hope  soon  to  see  you  again.  Miss 
ve,  I  have  one  word  to  say,  if  you  dare  trust  your 
self  with  a  youth  of  fifty,  for  a  minute  in  the  library/' 

Eve  rose  cheerfully,  and  led  the  way  to  the  room 
her  father's  visiter  had  named.  When  within  it,  Mr. 
Howel  shut  the  door  carefully,  and  then  with  a  sort  of 
eager  delight,  he  exclaimed  — 

««  For  heaven's  sake,  my  dear  young  lady,  tell  me 
who  are  these  two  strange  gentlemen  in  the  other 
room." 

"  Precisely  the  persons  my  father  mentioned,  Mr. 
Howel;  Mr.  Paul  Powis,  and  Sir  George  Temple- 
more." 

"  Englishmen,  of  course  !" 

"  Sir  George  Templemore  is,  of  course,  as  you  say  , 
but  we  may  boast  of  Mr.  PowTis  as  a  countryman." 

"  Sir  George  Templemore  !  —  What  a  superb-looking 
young  fellow  !" 

"Why,  yes,"  returned  Eve,  laughing;  "  he,  at  least, 
you  will  admit  is  a  handsome  man." 

"He  is  wonderful!  —  The  other,  Mr.  —  a  —  a  —  a  —  I 
forget  what  you  called  him  —  he  is  pretty  well  too  ;  but 
this  Sir  George  is  a  princely  youth." 

"  I  rather  think  a  majority  of  observers  would  give 
the  preference  to  the  appearance  of  Mr.  Powis,"  said 
Eve,  struggling  to  be  steady,  but  permitting  a  blush  to 
heighten  her  colour,  in  despite  of  the  effort. 

"  What  could  have  induced  him  to  come  up  among 
these  mountains  —  an  English  baronet  !"  resumed  Mr. 
Howel,  without  thinking  of  Eve's  confusion.  "  Is  he 
a  real  lord  ?" 

"  Only  a  little  one,  Mr.  Howel.  You  heard  what 
my  father  said  of  our  having  been  fellow-travellers." 

"  But  what  does  he  think  of  us.  I  am  dying  to  know 
what  such  a  man  really  thinks  of  us  ?" 

"  It  is  not  always  easy  to  discover  what  such  men 
really  think  ;  although  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  he 
is  disposed  to  think  rather  favourably  of  some  of  us." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  197 

"  Ay,  of  you,  and  your  father,  and  Mr.  John.  You 
have  travelled,  and  are  more  than  half  European ;  but 
what  can  he  think  of  those  who  have  never  left  Ame 
rica?" 

"  Even  of  some  of  those,"  returned  Eve,  smiling,  "  I 
suspect  he  thinks  partially." 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  of  that.  Do  you  happen  to  know 
his  opinion  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas  ?" 

"  Indeed  I  do  not  remember  to  have  heard  him  men 
tion  the  Emperor's  name ;  nor  do  I  think  he  has  ever 
seen  him." 

"  That  is  extraordinary  !  Such  a  man  should  have 
seen  every  thing,  and  know  every  thing ;  but  I  '11  en 
gage,  at  the  bottom,  he  does  know  all  about  him.  If 
you  happen  to  have  any  old  English  newspapers,  as 
wrappers,  or  by  any  other  accident,  let  me  beg  them 
of  you.  I  care  not  how  old  they  are.  An  English  jour 
nal  fifty  years  old,  is  more  interesting  than  one  of  ours 
wet  from  the  press.'* 

Eve  promised  to  send  him  a  package,  when  they 
shook  hands  and  parted.  As  she  was  crossing  the 
hall,  to  rejoin  the  party,  John  Effingham  stopped  her. 

"  Has  Howel  made  proposals  ?"  the  gentleman  in 
quired,  in  an  affected  whisper. 

"  None,  cousin  Jack,  beyond  an  offer  to  read  the  old 
English  newspapers  I  can  send  him." 

"  Yes,  yes,  Tom  Howel  will  swallow  all  the  non 
sense  that  is  timbre  &  Londres" 

"  I  confess  a  good  deal  of  surprise  at  finding  a  re 
spectable  and  intelligent  man  so  weak-minded  as  to 
give  credit  to  such  authorities,  or  to  form  his  serious 
opinions  on  information  derived  from  such  sources." 

"  You  may  be  surprised,  Eve,  at  hearing  so  frank 
avowals  of  the  weakness ;  but,  as  for  the  weakness 
itself,  you  are  now  in  a  country  for  which  England 
does  all  the  thinking,  except  on  subjects  that  touch  the 
current  interests  of  the  day.'5 

"  Nay,  I  will  not  believe  this !  If  it  were  true,  how 
17* 


198  HOME    AS    POUND 

came  we  independent  of  her — where  did  we  get  spirit 
to  war  against  her." 

"  The  man  who  has  attained  his  majority  is  inde 
pendent  of  his  father's  legal  control,  without  being  in 
dependent  of  the  lessons  he  was  taught  when  a  child. 
The  soldier  sometimes  mutinies,  and  after  the  contest 
is  over,  he  is  usually  the  most  submissive  man  of  the 
regiment." 

"  All  this  to  me  is  very  astonishing  !  I  confess  that 
a  great  deal  has  struck  me  unpleasantly  in  this  way, 
since  our  return;  especially  in  ordinary  society;  but  I 
never  could  have  supposed  it  had  reached  to  the  pass 
in  which  I  see  it  existing  in  our  good  neighbour 
Howe!." 

"  You  have  witnessed  one  of  the  effects,  in  a  matter 
of  no  great  moment  to  ourselves;  but,  as  time  and 
years  afford  the  means  of  observation  and  comparison, 
you  will  perceive  the  effects  in  matters  of  the  last  mo 
ment,  in  a  national  point  of  view.  It  is  in  human  na 
ture  to  undervalue  the  things  with  which  we  are  fami 
liar,  and  to  form  false  estimates  of  those  which  are 
remote,  either  by  time,  or  by  distance.  But,  go  into 
the  drawing-room,  and,  in  young  Wenham,  you  will 
find  one  who  fancies  himself  a  votary  of  a  new  school, 
although  his  prejudices  and  mental  dependence  are 
scarcely  less  obvious  than  those  of  poor  Tom  Howel." 

The  arrival  of  more  company,  among  whom  were 
several  ladies,  compelled  Eve  to  defer  an  examination 
of  Mr.  Wenham's  peculiarities  to  another  opportunity. 
She  found  many  of  her  own  sex,  whom  she  had  left 
children,  grown  into  womanhood,  and  not  a  few  of 
them  at  a  period  of  life  when  they  should  be  cultivat 
ing  their  physical  and  moral  powers,  already  oppressed 
with  the  cares  and  feebleness  that  weigh  so  heavily  on 
the  young  American  wife. 


HOME    AS    FOUND,  199 

CHAPTER  XIII. 


"  Nay  we  must  longer  kneel  ,•  I  am  a  suitor." 

QUEEN  KATHERINE. 

THE  Effinghams  were  soon  regularly  domesticated, 
arid  the  usual  civilities  had  been  exchanged.  Many 
of  their  old  friends  resumed  their  ancient  intercourse, 
and  some  new  acquaintances  were  made.  The  few 
first  visits  were,  as  usual,  rather  labored  and  formal ; 
but  things  soon  took  their  natural  course,  and,  as  the 
ease  of  country  life  was  the  aim  of  the  family,  the 
temporary  little  bustle  was  quickly  forgotten. 

The  dressing-room  of  Eve  overlooked  the  lake,  and, 
about  a  week  after  her  arrival,  she  was  seated  in  it 
enjoying  that  peculiarly  ladylike  luxury,  which  is  to  be 
found  in  the  process  of  having  another  gently  disposing 
of  the  hair.  Annette  wielded  the  comb,  as  usual,  while 
Ann  Sidley,  who  was  unconsciously  jealous  that  any 
one  should  be  employed  about  her  darling,  even  in  this 
manner,  though  so  long  accustomed  to  it,  busied  her 
self  in  preparing  the  different  articles  of  attire  that 
she  fancied  her  young  mistress  might  be  disposed  to 
wear  that  morning.  Grace  was  also  in  the  room,  hav 
ing  escaped  from  the  hands  of  her  own  maid,  in  order 
to  look  into  one  of  those  books  which  professed  to  give 
an  account  of  the  extraction  and  families  of  the  higher 
classes  of  Great  Britain,  a  copy  of  which  Eve  hap 
pened  to  possess,  among  a  large  collection  of  books, 
Almanacks  de  Gotha,  Court  Guides,  and  other  similar 
works  that  she  had  found  it  convenient  to  possess  as 
a  traveller. 

"  Ah !  here  it  is,"  said  Grace,  in  the  eagerness  01 
one  who  is  suddenly  successful  after  a  long  and  vexa 
tious  search. 

"  Here  is  what,  coz  ?" 


200  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

Grace  coloured,  and  she  could  have  bitten  her  tongue 
for  its  indiscretion,  but,  too  ingenuous  to  deceive,  she 
reluctantly  told  the  truth. 

"  I  was  merely  looking  for  the  account  of  Sir  George 
Templemore's  family;  it  is  awkward  to  be  domesti 
cated  with  one,  of  whose  family  we  are  utterly  igno 
rant." 

"  Have  you  found  the  name  ?" 

**  Yes ;  I  see  he  has  two  sisters,  both  of  whom  are 
married,  and  a  brother  who  is  in  the  Guards.  But " 

"  But  what,  dear  ?" 

"  His  title  is  not  so  very  old." 

"  The  title  of  no  Baronet  can  be  very  old,  the  order 
having  been  instituted  in  the  reign  of  James  I." 

"  I  did  not  know  that.  His  ancestor  was  created  a 
baronet  in  1701,  I  see.  Now,  Eve " 

"  Now,  what,  Grace  ?" 

"  We  are  both — "  Grace  would  not  confine  the  re 
mark  to  herself—"  we  are  both  of  older  families  than 
this  !  You  have  even  a  much  higher  English  extrac 
tion  ;  and  I  think  I  can  claim  for  the  Van  Cortlandts 
more  antiquity  than  one  that  dates  from  1701  !" 

"  No  one  doubts  it,  Grace ;  but  what  do  you  wish 
me  to  understand  by  this  ?  Are  we  to  insist  on  pre 
ceding  Sir  George,  in  going  through  a  door  ?" 

Grace  blushed  to  the  eyes,  and  yet  she  laughed, 
involuntarily. 

"  What  nonsense !  No  one  thinks  of  such  things  in 
America." 

"  Except  at  Washington,  where,  I  am  told,  *  Sena 
tors'  ladies'  do  give  themselves  airs.  But  you  are 
quite  right,  Grace ;  women  have  no  rank  in  America, 
beyond  their  general  social  rank,  as  ladies  or  no  ladies, 
and  we  will  not  be  the  first  to  set  an  example  of  break 
ing  the  rule.  I  am  afraid  our  blood  will  pass  for  no 
thing,  and  that  we  must  give  place  to  the  baronet, 
unless,  indeed,  he  recognizes  the  rights  of  the  sex." 

"  You  know  I  mean  nothing  so  silly.     Sir  George 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  201 

Templemore  does  not  seem  to  think  of  rank  at  all ; 
even  Mr.  Powis  treats  him,  in  all  respects,  as  an  equal, 
and  Sir  George  seems  to  admit  it  to  be  right." 

Eve's  maid,  at  the  moment,  was  twisting  her  hair, 
with  the  intention  to  put  it  up;  but  the  sudden  manner 
in  which  her  young  mistress  turned  to  look  at  Grace, 
caused  Annette  to  relinquish  her  grasp,  and  the  shoul 
ders  of  the  beautiful  and  blooming  girl  were  instantly 
covered  with  the  luxuriant  tresses. 

"  And  why  should  not  Mr.  Powis  treat  Sir  George 
Templemore  as  one  every  way  his  equal,  Grace  ?"  she 
asked,  with  an  impetuosity  unusual  in  one  so  trained  in 
the  forms  of  the  world. 

"  Why,  Eve,  one  is  a  baronet,  and  the  other  is  but  a 
simple  gentleman." 

Eve  Effingham  sat  silent  for  quite  a  minute.  Her 
little  foot  moved,  and  she  had  been  carefully  taught, 
too,  that  a  lady-like  manner,  required  that  even  this 
beautiful  portion  of  the  female  frame  should  be  quiet 
and  unobtrusive.  But  America  did  not  contain  two 
of  the  same  sex,  years,  and  social  condition,  less  alike 
in  their  opinions,  or  it  might  be  said  their  prejudices, 
than  the  two  cousins.  Grace  Van  Cortlandt,  of  the 
best  blood  of  her  native  land,  had  unconsciously  im 
bibed  in  childhood,  the  notions  connected  with  heredi 
tary  rank,  through  the  traditions  of  colonial  manners, 
by  means  of  novels,  by  hearing  the  vulgar  reproached 
or  condemned  for  their  obtrusion  and  ignorance,  and 
too  often  justly  reproached  and  condemned,  and  by 
the  aid  of  her  imagination,  which  contributed  to  throw 
a  gloss  and  brilliancy  over  a  state  of  things  that  sin 
gularly  gains  by  distance.  On  the  other  hand,  with 
Eve,  every  thing  connected  with  such  subjects  was  a 
matter  of  fact.  She  had  been  thrown  early  into  the 
highest  associations  of  Europe ;  she  had  not  only  seen 
royalty  on  its  days  of  gala  and  representation,  a  mere 
raree-show  that  is  addressed  to  the  senses,  or  purely  an 
observance  of  forms  that  may  possibly  have  their  mean- 


202  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

ing,  but  which  can  scarcely  be  said  to  have  their  rea 
sons,  but  she  had  lived  long  and  intimately  among  the 
high-born  and  great,  and  this,  too,  in  so  many  differ 
ent  countries,  as  to  have  destroyed  the  influence  of  the 
particular  nation  that  has  transmitted  so  many  of  its 
notions  to  America  as  heir-looms.  By  close  obser 
vation,  she  knew  that  arbitrary  and  political  distinc 
tions  made  but  little  difference  between  men  of  them 
selves  ;  and  so  far  from  having  become  the  dupe  of  the 
glitter  of  life,  by  living  so  long  within  its  immediate 
influence,  she  had  learned  to  discriminate  between  the 
false  and  the  real,  and  to  perceive  that  which  was  truly 
respectable  and  useful,  and  to  know  it  from  that  which 
was  merely  arbitrary  and  selfish.  Eve  actually  fancied 
that  the  position  of  an  American  gentleman  might 
readily  become,  nay  that  it  ought  to  be  the  highest  of 
all  human  stations,  short  of  that  of  sovereigns.  Such 
a  man  had  no  social  superior,  with  the  exception  of 
those  who  actually  ruled,  in  her  eyes,  and  this  fact 
she  conceived,  rendered  him  more  than  noble,  as  no 
bility  is  usually  graduated.  She  had  been  accustomed 
to  see  her  father  and  John  Effingham  moving  in  the 
best  circles  of  Europe,  respected  for  their  information 
and  independence,  undistinguished  by  their  manners, 
admired  for  their  personal  appearance,  manly,  cour 
teous,  and  of  noble  bearing  and  principles,  if  not  set 
apart  from  the  rest  of  mankind  by  an  arbitrary  rule 
connected  with  rank.  Rich,  and  possessing  all  the 
habits  that  properly  mark  refinement,  of  gentle  extrac 
tion,  of  liberal  attainments,  walking  abroad  in  the  dig 
nity  of  manhood,  and  with  none  between  them  and  the 
Deity,  Eve  had  learned  to  regard  the  gentlemen  of  her 
race  as  the  equals  in  station  of  any  of  their  European 
associates,  and  as  the  superiors  of  most,  in  every  thing 
that  is  essential  to  true  distinction.  With  her,  even 
titular  princes  and  dukes  had  no  estimation,  merely  as 
princes  and  dukes ;  and,  as  her  quick  mind  glanced 
over  the  long  catalogue  of  artificial  social  gradations, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  203 

and  she  found  Grace  actually  attaching  an  importance 
to  the  equivocal  and  purely  conventional  condition  of 
an  English  baronet,  a  strong  sense  of  the  ludicrous 
connected  itself  with  the  idea. 

"  A  simple  gentleman,  Grace !"  she  repeated  slowly 
after  her  cousin ;  "  and  is  not  a  simple  gentleman,  a 
simple  American  gentleman,  the  equal  of  any  gentle 
man  on  earth — of  a  poor  baronet,  in  particular  ?" 

"  Poor  baronet,  Eve !" 

"  Yes,  dear,  poor  baronet ;  I  know  fully  the  extent 
and  meaning  of  what  I  say.  It  is  true,  we  do  riot 
know  as  much  of  Mr.  Powis'  family,"  and  here  Eve's 
colour  heightened,  though  she  made  a  mighty  effort  to 
be  steady  and  unmoved,  "  as  we  might ;  but  we  know 
he  is  an  American;  that,  at  least,  is  something;  and 
we  see  he  is  a  gentleman  ;  and  what  American  gentle 
man,  a  real  American  gentleman,  can  be  the  inferior 
of  an  English  baronet  ?  Would  your  uncle,  think  you ; 
would  cousin  Jack ;  proud,  lofty-minded  cousin  Jack, 
think  you,  Grace,  consent  to  receive  so  paltry  a  dis 
tinction  as  a  baronetcy,  were  our  institutions  to  be  so 
far  altered  as  to  admit  of  such  social  classifications  1" 

"  Why,  what  would  they  be,  Eve,  if  not  baronets  I" 

"  Earls,  Counts,  Dukes,  nay  Princes  !  These  are  the 
designations  of  the  higher  classes  of  Europe,  and  such 
titles,  or  those  that  are  equivalent,  would  belong  to  the 
higher  classes  here." 

"  I  fancy  that  Sir  George  Templemore  would  not  be 
persuaded  to  admit  all  this !" 

"  If  you  had  seen  Miss  Eve,  surrounded  and  admired 
by  princes,  as  I  have  seen  her,  Miss  Grace,"  said  Ann 
Sidley,  "  you  would  not  think  any  simple  Sir  George 
half  good  enough  for  her." 

"  Our  good  Nanny  means,  a  Sir  George,"  interrupted 
Eve,  laughing,  "  and  not  the  Sir  George  in  question. 
But,  seriously,  dearest  coz,  it  depends  more  on  our 
selves,  and  less  on  others,  in  what  light  they  are  to 
regard  us,  than  is  commonly  supposed.  Do  you  not 


204  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

suppose  there  are  families  in  America  wnc,  if  disposed 
to  raise  any  objections  beyond  those  that  are  purely 
personal,  would  object  to  baronets,  and  the  wearers 
of  red  ribands,  as  unfit  matches  for  their  daughters, 
on  the  ground  of  rank  ?  What  an  absurdity  would  it 
be,  for  a  Sir  George,  or  the  Sir  George  either,  to  object 
to  a  daughter  of  a  President  of  the  United  States  for 
instance,  on  account  of  station ;  and  yet  I  '11  answer  for 
it,  you  would  think  it  no  personal  honour,  if  Mr.  Jack 
son  had  a  son,  that  he  should  propose  to  my  dear  father 
for  you.  Let  us  respect  ourselves  properly,  take  care 
to  be  truly  ladies  and  gentlemen,  and  so  far  from  titu 
lar  rank's  being  necessary  to  us,  before  a  hundred  lus 
tres  are  past,  we  shall  bring  all  such  distinctions  into 
discredit,  by  showing  that  they  are  not  necessary  to 
any  one  important  interest,  or  to  true  happiness  and 
respectability  any  where." 

"  And  do  you  not  believe,  Eve,  that  Sir  George 
Templemore  thinks  of  the  difference  in  station  between 
us?" 

"  I  cannot  answer  for  that,"  said  Eve,  calmly. 
"  The  man  is  naturally  modest ;  and,  it  is  possible, 
when  he  sees  that  we  belong  to  the  highest  social  con 
dition  of  a  great  country,  he  may  regret  that  such  has 
not  been  his  own  good  fortune  in  his  native  land ;  es 
pecially,  Grace,  since  he  has  known  you" 

Grace  blushed,  looked  pleased,  delighted  even,  and 
yet  surprised.  It  is  unnecessary  to  explain  the  causes 
of  the  three  first  expressions  of  her  emotions ;  but  the 
last  may  require  a  short  examination.  Nothing  but  time 
and  a  change  of  circumstances,  can  ever  raise  a  pro 
vince  or  a  provincial  town  to  the  independent  state  of 
feeling  that  so  strikingly  distinguishes  a  metropolitan 
country,  or  a  capital.  It  would  be  as  rational  to  ex 
pect  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  nursery  should  disre 
gard  the  opinions  of  the  drawing-room,  as  to  believe 
that  the  provincial  should  do  all  his  own  thinking.  Po 
litical  dependency,  moreover,  is  much  more  easily 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  205 

thrown  aside  than  mental  dependency.  It  is  not  sur 
prising,  therefore,  that  Grace  Van  Cortlandt,  with  her 
narrow  associations,  general  notions  of  life,  origin,  and 
provincial  habits,  should  be  the  very  opposite  of  Eve, 
in  all  that  relates  to  independence  of  thought,  on  sub 
jects  like  those  that  they  were  now  discussing.  Had 
Grace  been  a  native  of  New  England,  even,  she  would 
have  been  less  influenced  by  the  mere  social  rank  of 
the  baronet  than  was  actually  the  case ;  for,  while  the 
population  of  that  part  of  the  Union  feel  more  of  the 
general  subserviency  to  Great  Britain  than  the  popula 
tion  of  any  other  portion  of  the  republic,  they  probably 
feel  less  of  it,  in  this  particular  form,  from  the  circum 
stance  that  their  colonial  habits  were  less  connected 
with  the  aristocratical  usages  of  the  mother  country. 
Grace  was  allied  by  blood,  too,  with  the  higher  classes 
of  England,  as,  indeed,  was  the  fact  with  most  of  the 
old  families  among  the  New  York  gentry;  and  the 
traditions  of  her  race  came  in  aid  of  the  traditions  of 
her  colony,  to  continue  the  profound  deference  she 
felt  for  an  English  title.  Eve  might  have  been  equally 
subjected  to  the  same  feelings,  had  she  not  been  re 
moved  into  another  sphere  at  so  early  a  period  of  life, 
where  she  imbibed  the  notions  already  mentioned — 
notions  that  were  quite  as  effectually  rooted  in  her 
moral  system,  as  those  of  Grace  herself  could  be  in 
her  own. 

"  This  is  a  strange  way  of  viewing  the  rank  of  a 
baronet,  Eve !"  Grace  exclaimed,  as  soon  as  she  had 
a  little  recovered  from  the  confusion  caused  by  the 
personal  allusion.  "  I  greatly  question  if  you  can  induce 
Sir  George  Templemore  to  see  his  own  position  with 
your  eyes." 

"  No,  my  dear ;  I  think  he  will  be  much  more  likely 
to  regard,  not  only  that,  but  most  other  things,  with 
the  eyes  of  another  person.  We  will  now  talk  of 
more  agreeable  things,  however ;  for  I  confess,  when 
1  Jo  dwell  on  titles,  I  have  a  taste  for  the  more 
18 


206  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

princely  appellations  ;  and  that  a  simple  chevalier  can 
scarce  excite  a  feeling  that  such  is  the  theme." 

"  Nay,  Eve,"  interrupted  Grace,  with  spirit,  "  an 
English  baronet  is  noble.  Sir  George  Templemore 
assured  me  that,  as  lately  as  last  evening.  The  heralds, 
I  believe,  have  quite  recently  established  that  fact  to 
their  own  satisfaction." 

"  I  am  glad  of  it,  dear,"  returned  Eve,  with  diffi 
culty  refraining  from  gaping,  "  as  it  will  be  of  great 
importance  to  them,  in  their  own  eyes.  At  all  events, 
I  concede  that  Sir  George  Templemore,  knight  or 
baronet,  big  baron  or  little  baron,  is  a  noble  fellow ; 
and  what  more  can  any  reasonable  person  desire.  Do 
you  know,  sweet  coz,  that  the  Wigwam  will  be  full  to 
overflowing  next  week  ? — that  it  will  be  necessary  to 
light  our  council-fire,  and  to  smoke  the  pipe  of  many 
welcomes  ?" 

"I  have  understood  Mr.  Powis,  that  his  kinsman, 
Captain  Ducie,  will  arrive  on  Monday." 

"  And  Mrs.  Hawker  will  come  on  Tuesday,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bloomfield  on  Wednesday,  and  honest,  brave 
straight-forward,  literati-hating'  Captain  Truck,  on 
Thursday,  at  the  latest.  We  shall  be  a  large  country- 
circle,  and  I  hear  the  gentlemen  talking  of  the  boats, 
and  other  amusements.  But  I  believe  my  father  has  a 
consultation  in  the  library,  at  which  he  wishes  us  to 
be  present ;  we  will  join  him,  if  you  please." 

As  Eve's  toilette  was  now  completed,  the  two  ladies 
rose,  and  descended  together  to  join  the  party  below. 
Mr.  Eifingham  was  standing  at  a  table  that  was  co 
vered  with  maps,  while  two  or  three  respectable-look 
ing  men,  master-mechanics,  were  at  his  side.  The 
manners  of  these  men  were  quiet,  civil,  and  respectful, 
having  a  mixture  of  manly  simplicity,  with  a  proper 
deference  for  the  years  and  station  of  the  master  of 
the  house ;  though  all  but  one,  wore  their  hats.  The 
one  who  formed  the  exception,  had  become  refined  by 
a  long  intercourse  with  this  particular  family ;.  and  his 


HOME   AS   FOUND.  207 

acquired  taste  had  taught  him  that,  respect  for  himself, 
as  well  as  for  decency,  rendered  it  necessary  to  observe 
the  long-established  rules  of  decorum,  in  his  inter 
course  with  others.  His  companions,  though  without 
a  particle  of  coarseness,  or  any  rudeness  of  intention, 
were  less  decorous,  simply  from  a  loose  habit,  that  is 
insensibly  taking  the  place  of  the  ancient  laws  of  pro 
priety  in  such  matters,  and  which  habit,  it  is  to  be 
feared,  has  a  part  of  its  origin  in  false  and  impractica 
ble  political  notions,  that  have  been  stimulated  by  the 
arts  of  demagogues.  Still,  not  one  of  the  three  hard 
working,  really  civil,  and  even  humane  men,  who 
now  stood  covered  in  the  library  of  Mr.  Effingham, 
was  probably  conscious  of  the  impropriety  of  which  he 
was  guilty,  or  was  doing  more  than  insensibly  yielding 
to  a  vicious  and  vulgar  practice. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  come,  my  love,"  said  Mr.  Ef 
fingham,  as  his  daughter  entered  the  room,  "  for  I  find 
I  need  support  in  maintaining  my  own  opinions  here. 
John  is  obstinately  silent ;  and,  as  for  all  these  other 
gentlemen,  I  fear  they  have  decidedly  taken  sides 
against  me." 

"  You  can  usually  count  on  my  support,  dearest 
father,  feeble  as  it  may  be.  But  what  is  the  disputed 
point  to-day  ?" 

"  There  is  a  proposition  to  alter  the  interior  of  the 
church,  and  our  neighbour  Gouge  has  brought  the 
plans,  on  which,  as  he  says,  he  has  lately  altered  seve 
ral  churches  in  the  county.  The  idea  is,  to  remove 
the  pews  entirely,  converting  them  into  what  are  called 
'  slips,'  to  lower  the  pulpit,  and  to  raise  the  floor,  am 
phitheatre  fashion." 

"  Can  there  be  a  sufficient  reason  for  this  change  ?" 
demanded  Eve,  with  surprise.  "  Slips  !  The  word  has 
a  vulgar  sound  even,  and  savours  of  a  useless  innova 
tion.  I  doubt  its  orthodoxy." 

"  It  is  very  popular,  Miss  Eve,"  answered  Arista- 
bulus,  advancing  from  a  window,  where  he  had  been 


208  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

whispering  assent.  "  This  fashion  takes  universally 
and  is  getting  to  prevail  in  all  denominations." 

Eve  turned  involuntarily,  and  to  her  surprise  she 
perceived  that  the  editor  of  the  Active  Inquirer  was 
added  to  their  party.  The  salutations,  on  the  part  of 
the  young  lady,  were  distant  and  stately,  while  Mr. 
Dodge,  who  had  not  been  able  to  resist  public  opinion, 
and  had  actually  parted  with  his  moustachios,  sim 
pered,  and  wished  to  have  it  understood  by  the  spec 
tators,  that  he  was  on  familiar  terms  with  all  the 
family. 

"  It  may  be  popular,  Mr.  Bragg,"  returned  Eve,  as 
soon  as  she  rose  from  her  profound  curtsey  to  Mr. 
Dodge ;  "  but  it  can  scarcely  be  said  to  be  seemly. 
This  is,  indeed,  changing  the  order  of  things,  by  ele 
vating  the  sinner,  and  depressing  the  saint." 

"  You  forget,  Miss  Eve,  that  under  the  old  plan,  the 
people  could  not  see;  they  were  kept  unnaturally 
down,  if  one  can  so  express  it,  while  nobody  had  a 
good  look-out  but  the  parson  and  the  singers  in  the 
front  row  of  the  gallery.  This  was  unjust." 

"  I  do  not  conceive,  sir,  that  a  good  look-out,  as 
you  term  it,  is  at  all  essential  to  devotion,  or  that  one 
cannot  as  well  listen  to  instruction  when  beneath  the 
teacher,  as  when  above  him." 

"Pardon  me,  Miss;"  Eve  recoiled,  as  she  always 
did,  when  Mr.  Bragg  used  this  vulgar  and  contempt 
uous  mode  of  address ;  "  we  put  no  body  up  or  down  ; 
all  we  aim  it  is  a  just  equality — to  place  all,  as  near 
as  possible,  on  a  level." 

Eve  gazed  about  her  in  wonder;  and  then  she 
hesitated  a  moment,  as  if  distrusting  her  ears. 

"  Equality  !  Equality  with  what  ?  Surely  not 
with  the  ordained  ministers  of  the  church,  in  the  per 
formance  of  their  sacred  duties  !  Surely  not  with 
the  Deity  !" 

"  We  do  not  look  at  it  exactly  in  this  light,  ma'am. 
The  people  build  the  church,  that  you  will  allow, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  209 

Miss  Effingham ;  even  you  will  allow  this,  Mr.  Ef 
fingham." 

Both  the  parties  appealed  to,  bowed  a  simple  assent 
to  so  plain  a  proposition,  but  neither  spoke. 

"  Well,  the  people  building  the  church  very  natu 
rally  ask  themselves  for  what  purpose  it  was  built  ?" 

"  For  the  worship  of  God,"  returned  Eve  with  a 
steady  solemnity  of  manner  that  a  little  abashed  even 
the  ordinarily  indomitable  and  self-composed  Arista- 
bulus. 

"  Yes,  Miss ;  for  the  worship  of  God  and  the  ac 
commodation  of  the  public." 

"  Certainly,"  added  Mr.  Dodge ;  "  for  the  public  ac 
commodation  and  for  public  worship ;"  laying  due  em 
phasis  on  the  adjectives. 

"  Father,  you,  at  least,  will  never  consent  to  this  ?" 

"  Not  readily,  my  love.  I  confess  it  shocks  all  my 
notions  of  propriety  to  see  the  sinner,  even  when  he 
professes  to  be  the  most  humble  and  penitent,  thrust 
himself  up  ostentatiously,  as  if  filled  only  with  his  own 
self-love  and  self-importance." 

"  You  will  allow,  Mr.  Effingham,"  rejoined  Aris- 
tabulus,  "  that  churches  are  built  to  accommodate  the 
public,  as  Mr.  Dodge  has  so  well  remarked." 

"  No,  sir ;  they  are  built  for  the  worship  of  God, 
as  my  daughter  has  so  well  remarked." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  that,  too,  I  grant  you " 

"  As  secondary  to  the  main  object — the  public  con 
venience,  Mr.  Bragg  unquestionably  means ;"  put  in 
John  Effingham,  speaking  for  the  first  time  that  morn 
ing  on  the  subject. 

Eve  turned  quickly,  and  looked  towards  her  kins 
man.  He  was  standing  near  the  table,  with  folded 
arms,  and  his  fine  face  expressing  all  the  sarcasm  and 
contempt  that  a  countenance  so  singularly  calm  and 
gentlemanlike,  could  betray. 

"  Cousin  Jack,"  she  said  earnestly,  "  this  ought  not 
to  be." 

18* 


210  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

"  Cousin  Eve,  nevertheless  this  will  be." 

"  Surely  not — surely  not !  Men  can  never  so  far 
forget  appearances  as  to  convert  the  temple  of  God 
into  a  theatre,  in  which  the  convenience  of  the  spec 
tators  is  the  one  great  object  to  be  kept  in  view !" 

"  You  have  travelled,  sir,"  said  John  Effingham,  in 
dicating  by  his  eye  that  he  addressed  Mr.  Dodge,  in 
particular,  "  and  must  have  entered  places  of  worship 
in  other  parts  of  the  world.  Did  not  the  simple 
.beauty  of  the  manner  in  which  all  classes,  the  great 
and  the  humble,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  kneel  in  a 
common  humility  before  the  altar,  strike  you  agree 
ably,  on  such  occasions ;  in  Catholic  countries,  in  par 
ticular  ?" 

"  Bless  me  !  no,  Mr.  John  Effingham.  I  was  dis 
gusted  at  the  meanness  of  their  rites,  and  really 
shocked  at  the  abject  manner  in  which  the  people 
knelt  on  the  cold  damp  stones,  as  if  they  were  no  bet 
ter  than  beggars." 

"  And  were  they  not  beggars  ?"  asked  Eve,  with 
almost  a  severity  of  tone :  "  ought  they  not  so  to  con 
sider  themselves,  when  petitioning  for  mercy  of  the 
one  great  and  omnipotent  God  1" 

"  Why,  Miss  Effingham,  the  people  will  rule ;  and 
it  is  useless  to  pretend  to  tell  them  that  they  shall  not 
have  the  highest  seats  in  the  church  as  well  as  in  the 
state.  Really,  I  can  see  no  ground  why  a  parson 
should  be  raised  above  his  parishioners.  The  new- 
order  churches  consult  the  public  convenience,  and 
place  every  body  on  a  level,  as  it  might  be.  Now, 
in  old  times,  a  family  was  buried  in  its  pew;  it  could 
neither  see  nor  be  seen  ;  and  I  can  remember  the 
time  when  I  could  just  get  a  look  of  our  clergyman's 
wig,  for  he  was  an  old-school  man  ;  and  as  for  his 
fellow-creatures,  one  might  as  well  be  praying  in  his 
own  closet.  I  must  say  I  am  a  supporter  of  libertx, 
if  it  be  only  in  pews." 

"  I  am  sorry,  Mr.  Dodge,"  answered  Eve,  mildly, 


HGMfi    AS    FOUND.  211 

"  you  did  not  extend  your  travels  into  the  countries 
of  the  Mussulmans,  where  most  Christian  sects  might 
get  some  useful  notions  concerning  the  part  of  wor 
ship,  at  least,  that  is  connected  writh  appearances. 
There  you  would  have  seen  no  seats,  but  sinners 
bowing  down  in  a  mass,  on  the  cold  stones,  and  all 
thoughts  of  cushioned  pews  and  drawing-room  con 
veniences  unknown.  We  Protestants  have  improved 
on  our  Catholic  forefathers  in  this  respect;  and  the 
innovation  of  which  you  now  speak,  in  my  eyes  is  an 
irreverent,  almost  a  sinful,  invasion  of  the  proprieties 
of  the  temple." 

"  Ah,  Miss  Eve,  this  comes  from  substituting  forms 
for  the  substance  of  things,"  exclaimed  the  editor. 
"  For  my  part,  I  can  say,  I  was  truly  shocked  with 
the  extravagancies  I  witnessed,  in  the  way  of  wor 
ship,  in  most  of  the  countries  I  visited.  Would  you 
think  it,  Mr.  Bragg,  rational  beings,  real  bona  /?de 'liv 
ing  men  and  women,  kneeling  on  the  stone  pavement, 
like  so  many  camels  in  the  Desert,"  Mr.  Dodge  loved 
to  draw  his  images  from  the  different  parts  of  the  world 
he  had  seen,  "  ready  to  receive  the  burthens  of  their 
masters ;  not  a  pew,  not  a  cushion,  not  a  single  com 
fort  that  is  suitable  to  a  free  and  intelligent  being,  but 
every  thing  conducted  in  the  most  abject  manner,  as 
if  accountable  human  souls  were  no  better  than  so 
many  mutes  in  a  Turkish  palace." 

«'  You  ought  to  mention  this  in  the  Active  Inquirer," 
said  Aristabulus. 

"  All  in  good  time,  sir ;  I  have  many  things  in  re 
serve,  among  which  I  propose  to  give  a  few  remarks, 
I  dare  say  they  will  be  very  worthless  ones,  on  the 
impropriety  of  a  rational  being's  ever  kneeling.  To  my 
notion,  gentlemen  and  ladies,  God  never  intended  an 
American  to  kneel." 

The  respectable  mechanics  who  stood  around  the 
table  did  not  absolutely  assent  to  this  proposition,  for 
one  of  them  actually  remarked  that  "  he  saw  no  great 


212  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

harm  in  a  man's  kneeling  to  the  Deity ;"  but  they  evi 
dently  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  the  new-school  of 
pews  was  far  better  than  the  old. 

"It  always  appears  to  me,MissEffingham,"  said  one, 
"  that  I  hear  and  understand  the  sermon  better  in  one 
of  the  low  pews,  than  in  one  of  the  old  high-backed 
things,  that  look  so  much  like  pounds." 

"  But  can  you  withdraw  into  yourself  better,  sir  ? 
Can  you  more  truly  devote  all  your  thoughts,  with  a 
suitable  singleness  of  heart,  to  the  worship  of  God  ?" 

"  You  mean  in  the  prayers,  now,  I  rather  con 
clude?" 

"Certainly,  sir,  I  mean  in  the  prayers  and  the 
thanksgivings." 

"  Why,  we  leave  them  pretty  much  to  the  parson ; 
though  1  will  own  it  is  not  quite  as  easy  leaning  on 
the  edge  of  one  of  the  new-school  pews  as  on  one  of 
the  old.  They  are  better  for  sitting,  but  not  so  good 
for  standing.  But  then  the  sitting  posture  at  prayers 
is  quite  coming  into  favour  among  our  people,  Miss 
Effingham,  as  well  as  among  yours.  The  sermon-is 
the  main  chance,  after  all." 

"  Yes,"  observed  Mr.  Gouge,  "  give  me  good, 
strong  preaching,  any  day,  in  preference  to  good 
praying.  A  man  may  get  along  with  second-rate 
prayers,  but  he  stands  in  need  of  first-rate  preach 
ing." 

"  These  gentlemen  consider  religion  a  little  like  a 
cordial  on  a  cold  day»"  observed  John  Effingham, 
"  which  is  to  be  taken  in  sufficient  doses  to  make  the 
blood  circulate.  They  are  not  the  men  to  be  pounded 
in  pews,  like  lost  sheep,  not  they  ?" 

"Mr.  John  will  always  have  his  say;"  one  re 
marked  :  and  then  Mr.  Effingham  dismissed  the  party, 
by  telling  them  he  would  think  of  the  matter. 

When  the  mechanics  were  gone,  the  subject  was 
discussed  at  some  length  between  those  that  remain 
ed — all  the  Effinghams  agreeing  that  they  would  op- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  213 

pose  the  innovation,  as  irreverent  in  appearance, 
unsuited  to  the  retirement  and  self-abasement  that  best 
comported  with  prayer,  and  opposed  to  the  delicacy 
of  their  own  habits ;  while  Messrs.  Bragg  and  Dodge 
contended  to  the  last  that  such  changes  were  loudly 
called  for  by  the  popular  sentiment — that  it  was  un 
suited  to  the  dignity  of  a  man  to  be  '  pounded,'  even 
in  a  church — and  virtually,  that  a  good,  «  stirring' 
sermon,  as  they  called  it,  was  of  far  more  account, 
in  public  worship,  than  all  the  prayers  and  praises 
that  could  issue  from  the  heart  or  throat. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


"  We'll  follow  Cade— we'll  follow  Cade." 

MOB. 

"  THE  views  of  this  Mr.  Bragg,  and  of  our  old  fel 
low-traveller,  Mr.  Dodge,  appear  to  be  peculiar  on 
the  subject  of  religious  forms,"' observed  Sir  George 
Templemore,  as  he  descended  the  little  lawn  before 
the  Wigwam,  in  company  with  the  three  ladies, 
Paul  Powis,  and  John  Effingham,  on  their  way  to 
the  lake.  "  I  should  think  it  would  be  difficult  to 
find  another  Christian,  who  objects  to  kneeling  at 
prayer." 

"  Therein  you  are  mistaken,  Templemore,"  an 
swered  Paul ;  "  for  this  country,  to  say  nothing  of  one 
sect  which  holds  it  in  utter  abomination,  is  filled  with 
them.  Our  pious  ancestors,  like  neophytes,  ran  into 
extremes,  on  the  subject  of  forms,  as  well  as  in  other 
matters.  When  you  go  to  Philadelphia,  Miss  Effing- 
ham,  you  will  see  an  instance  of  a  most  ludicrous  na 
ture — ludicrous,  if  there  were  not  something  painfully 
revolting  mingled  with  it — of  the  manner  in  which 
men  can  strain  at  a  gnat  and  swallow  a  camel ;  and 


214  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

which,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  is  immediately  connected 
with  our  own  church." 

It  was  music  to  Eve's  ears,  to  hear  Paul  Powis 
speak  of  his  pious  ancestors,  as  being  American,  and 
to  find  him  so  thoroughly  identifying  himself  with  her 
own  native  land  ;  for,  while  condemning  so  many  of 
its  practices,  and  so  much  alive  to  its  absurdities  and 
contradictions,  our  heroine  had  see-n  too  much  of 
other  countries,  not  to  take  an  honest  pride  in  the  real 
excellencies  of  her  own.  There  was,  also,  a  soothing 
pleasure  in  hearing  him  openly  own  that  he  belonged 
to  the  same  church  as  herself.' 

"  And  what  is  there  ridiculous  in  Philadelphia,  in 
particular,  and  in  connection  with  our  own  church  V 
she  asked.  "  I  am  not  so  easily  disposed  to  find  fault 
•where  the  venerable  church  is  concerned." 

"  You  know  that  the  Protestants,  in  their  horror  of 
idolatry,  discontinued,  in  a  great  degree,  the  use  of 
the  cross,  as  an  outward  religious  symbol;  and  that 
there  was  probably  a  time  when  there  was  not  a  single 
cross  to  be  seen  in  the  whole  of  a  country  that  was 
settled  by  those  who  made  a  profession  of  love  for 
Christ,  and  a  dependence  on  his  expiation,  the  great 
business  of  their  lives  ?" 

"  Certainly.  We  all  know  our  predecessors  were 
a  little  over-rigid  and  scrupulous  on  all  the  points  con 
nected  with  outward  appearances." 
^  "  They  certainly  contrived  to  render  the  religious 
rites  as  little  pleasing  to  the  senses  as  possible,  by  aim 
ing  at  a  sublimation  that  peculiarly  favours  spiritual 
pride  and  a  pious  conceit.  I  do  not  know  whether 
travelling  has  had  the  same  effect  on  you,  as  it  has 
produced  on  me;  but  I  find  all  my  inherited  antipa 
thies  to  the  mere  visible  representation  of  the  cross, 
superseded  by  a  sort  of  solemn  affection  for  it,  as  a 
symbol,  when  it  is  plain,  and  unaccompanied  by  any 
of  those  bloody  and  minute  accessories  that  are  so 
often  seen  around  it  in  Catholic  countries.  The  Ger- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  215 

man  Protestants,  who  usually  ornament  the  altar  with 
a  cross,  first  cured  me  of  the  disrelish  I  imbibed,  on 
this  subject,  in  childhood." 

"  We,  also,  I  think,  cousin  John,  were  agreeably 
struck  with  the  same  usage  in  Germany.  From  feel 
ing  a  species  of  nervousness  at  the  sight  of  a  cross,  I 
came  to  love  to  see  it ;  and  I  think  you  must  have 
undergone  a  similar  change ;  for  I  have  discovered 
no  less  than  three  among  the  ornaments  of  the  great 
window  of  the  entrance  tower,  at  the  Wigwam." 

"  You  might  have  discovered  one,  also,  in  every 
door  of  the  building,  whether  great  or  small,  young 
lady.  Our  pious  ancestors,  as  Powis  calls  them, 
much  of  whose  piety,  by  the  way,  was  any  thing  but 
meliorated  with  spiritual  humility  or  Christian  charity, 
were  such  ignoramuses  as  to  set  up  crosses  in  every 
door  they  built,  even  while  they  veiled  their  eyes  in 
holy  horror  whenever  the  sacred  symbol  was  seen  in 
a  church." 

"  Every  door  !"  exclaimed  the  Protestants  of  the 
party. 

"  Yes,  literally  every  door,  I  might  almost  say ; 
certainly  every  panelled  door  that  was  constructed 
twenty  years  since.  I  first  discovered  the  secret  of 
our  blunder,  when  visiting  a  castle  in  France,  that 
dated  back  from  the  time  of  the  crusade.  It  was  a 
chateau  of  the  Montmorencies,  that  had  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  Conde  family  by  marriage ;  and  the 
courtly  old  domestic,  who  showed  me  the  curiosities, 
pointed  out  to  me  the  stone  croix  in  the  windows, 
which  has  caused  the  latter  to  be  called  croistes,  as  a 
pious  usage  of  the  crusaders.  Turning  to  a  door,  I 
saw  the  same  crosses  in  the  wooden  stiles ;  and  if  you 
cast  an  eye  on  the  first  humble  door  that  you  may 
pass  in  this  village,  you  will  detect  the  same  symbol 
staring  you  boldly  in  the  face,  in  the  very  heart  of  a 
population  that  would  almost  expire  at  the  thoughts 


216  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

of  placing  such  a  sign  of  the  beast  on  their  very 
thresholds." 

The  whole  party  expressed  their  surprise;  but 
the  first  door  they  passed  corroborated  this  account, 
and  proved  the  accuracy  of  John  Effingham's  state 
ments.  Catholic  zeal  and  ingenuity  could  not  have 
wrought  more  accurate  symbols  of  this  peculiar  sign 
of  the  sect ;  and  yet,  here  they  stood,  staring  every 
passenger  in  the  face,  as  if  mocking  the  ignorant  and 
exaggerated  pretension  which  would  lay  undue  stress 
on  the  minor  points  of  a  religion,  the  essence  of  which 
was  faith  and  humility. 

"  And  the  Philadelphia  church  ?"  said  Eve,  quickly, 
so  soon  as  her  curiosity  was  satisfied  on  the  subject 
of  the  door ;  "  I  am  now  more  impatient  than  ever,  to 
learn  what  silly  blunder  we  have  also  committed 
there." 

"  Impious  would  almost  be  a  better  term,"  Paul 
answered.  "  The  only  church  spire  that  existed  for 
half  a  century,  in  that  town,  was  surmounted  by  a 
mitre,  while  the  cross  was  studiously  rejected  !" 

A  silence  followed ;  for  there  is  often  more  true  ar 
gument  in  simply  presenting  the  facts  of  a  case,  than 
in  all  the  rhetoric  and  logic  that  could  be  urged,  by 
way  of  auxiliaries.  Every  one  saw  the  egregious 
folly,  not  to  say  presumption,  of  the  mistake ;  and  at 
the  moment,  every  one  wondered  how  a  common- 
sense  community  could  have  committed  so  indecent  a 
blunder.  We  are  mistaken.  There  was  an  excep 
tion  to  the  general  feeling  in  the  person  of  Sir  George 
Templemore.  To  his  church-and-state  notions,  and 
anti-catholic  prejudices,  which  were  quite  as  much 
political  as  religious,  there  was  every  thing  that  was 
proper,  and  nothing  that  was  wrong,  in  rejecting  a 
cross  for  a  mitre. 

"  The  church,  no  doubt,  was  Episcopal,  Powis,"1 
he  remarked,  "  and  it  was  not  Roman.  What  better 
symbol  than  the  mitre  could  be  chosen  ?" 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  21V 

"  Now  I  reflect,  it  is  not  so  very  strange,"  said 
Grace,  eagerly,  "  for  you  will  remember,  Mr.  Effing- 
ham,  that  Protestants  attach  the  idea  of  idolatry  to  the 
cross,  as  it  is  used  by  Catholics." 

"  And  of  bishops,  peers  in  parliament,  church  and 
state,  to  a  mitre." 

"  Yes,  but  the  church  in  question  I  have  seen ;  and 
it  was  erected  before  the  war  of  the  revolution.  It 
was  an  English  rather  than  an  American  church." 

"  It  was,  indeed,  an  English  church,  rather  than 
an  American ;  and  Templemore  is  very  right  to  de 
fend  it,  mitre  and  all." 

"  I  dare  say,  a  bishop  officiated  at  its  altar?" 

"  I  dare  say — nay,  I  know,  he  did ;  and,  I  will 
add,  he  would  rather  that  the  mitre  were  two  hun 
dred  feet  in  the  air,  than  down  on  his  own  simple, 
white-haired,  apostolical-looking  head.  But  enough 
of  divinity  for  the  morning ;  yonder  is  Tom  with  the 
boat,  let  us  to  our  oars." 

The  party  were  now  on  the  little  wharf  that  served 
as  a  village-landing,  and  the  boatman  mentioned  lay 
off,  in  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  his  fare.  Instead  of 
using  him,  however,  the  man  was  dismissed ;  the  gen 
tlemen  preferring  to  handle  the  oars  themselves. 
Aquatic  excursions  were  of  constant  occurrence  in 
the  warm  months,  on  that  beautifully  limpid  sheet  of 
water,  and  it  was  the  practice  to  dispense  with  the 
regular  boatmen,  whenever  good  oarsmen  were  to  be 
found  among  the  company. 

As  soon  as  the  light  buoyant  skiff  was  brought  to 
the  side  of  the  wharf,  the  whole  party  embarked  ;  and 
Paul  and  the  baronet  taking  the  oars,  they  soon 
urged  the  boat  from  the  shore. 

"  The  world  is  getting  to  be  too  confined  for  the 
adventurous  spirit  of  the  age,"  said  Sir  George,  as  he 
and  his  companion  pulled  leisurely  along,  taking  the 
direction  of  the  eastern  shore,  beneath  the  forest-clad 
cliffs  of  which  the  ladies  had  expressed  a  wish  to  bo 
19 


218  HOME    AS    TOUND. 

rowed  ;  "  here  are  Powis  and  myself  actually  rowing 
together  on  a  mountain  lake  of  America,  after  having 
boated  as  companions  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  on 
the  margin  of  the  Great  Desert.  Polynesia,  and 
Terra  Australis,  may  yet  see  us  in  company,  as  hardy 
cruisers." 

"  The  spirit  of  the  age  is,  indeed,  working  won 
ders  in  the  way  you  mean,"  said  John  Effingham. 
"  Countries  of  which  our  fathers  merely  read,  are  get 
ting  to  be  as  familiar  as  our  own  homes  to  their  sons; 
and,  with  you,  one  can  hardly  foresee  to  what  a  pass 
of  adventure  the  generation  or  two  that  will  follow 
us  may  not  reach." 

"  Vraiment,  Jest  fort  extraordinaire  de  se  trouver  sur 
un  lac  Americain"  exclaimed  Mademoiselle  Viefville. 

"  More  extraordinary  than  to  find  one's  self  on  a 
Swiss  lake,  think  you,  my  dear  Mademoiselle  Vief 
ville  ?" 

"  JVbra,  non,  mais  tout  aussi  extraordinaire  pour  une 
Parisienne." 

"  I  am  now  about  to  introduce  you,  Mr.  John  Ef 
fingham  and  Miss  Van  Cortlandt  excepted,"  Eve  con 
tinued,  "  to  the  wonders  and  curiosities  of  this  lake 
and  region.  There,  near  the  small  house  that  is 
erected  over  a  spring  of  delicious  water,  stood  the 
hut  of  Natty  Bumppo,  once  known  throughout  all  these 
mountains  as  a  renowned  hunter ;  a  man  who  had 
the  simplicity  of  a  woodsman,  the  heroism  of  a  sav 
age,  the  faith  of  a  Christian,  and  the  feelings  of  a  poet. 
A  better  than  he,  after  his  fashion,  seldom  lived." 

"  We  have  all  heard  of  him,"  said  the  baronet, 
looking  round  curiously  ;  "  and  must  all  feel  an  inte 
rest  in  what  concerns* so  brave  and  just  a  man.  I 
would  I  could  see  his  counterpart." 

"  Alas  !"  said  John  Effingham,  "  the  days  of  the 
'  Leather-stockings'  have  passed  away.  He'preceded 
me  in  life,  and  I  see  few  remains  of  his  character 
in  a  region  where  spsculation  is  more  rife  than  mo* 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  219 

ralizing,  and  emigrants  are  plentier  than  hunters. 
Natty  probably  chose  that  spot  for  his  hut  on  account 
of  the  vicinity  of  the  spring :  is  it  not  so,  Miss  Effing- 
ham  ?" 

"  He  did ;  and  yonder  little  fountain  that  you  see 
gushing  from  the  thicket,  and  which  comes  glancing 
like  diamonds  into  the  lake,  is  called  the  *  Fairy 
Spring,'  by  some  flight  of  poetry  that,  like  so  many 
of  our  feelings,  must  have  been  imported  ;  for  I  see 
no  connection  between  the  name  and  the  character 
of  the  country,  fairies  having  never  been  known,  even 
by  tradition,  in  Otsego." 

The  boat  now  came  under  a  shore  where  the  trees 
fringed  the  very  water,  frequently  .overhanging  the 
element  that  mirrored  their  fantastic  forms  At  this 
point,  a  light  skiff  was  moving  leisurely  along  in 
their  own  direction,  bnt  a  short  distance  in  advance. 
On  a  hint  from  John  Effingham,  a  few  vigorous 
strokes  of  the  oars  brought  the  two  boats  near  each 
other. 

"  This  is  the  flag-ship,"  half  whispered  John  Effing- 
ham,  as  they  came  near  the  other  skiff,  "  containing  no 
less  a  man  than  the  *  commodore.'  Formerly,  the 
chief  of  the  lake  was  an  admiral,  but  that  was  in 
times  when,  living  nearer  to  the  monarchy,  we  re 
tained  some  of  the  European  terms ;  now,  no  man 
rises  higher  than  a  commodore  in  America,  whether 
it  be  on  the  ocean  or  on  the  Otsego,  whatever  may  be 
his  merits  or  his  services.  A  charming  day,  com 
modore  ;  I  rejoice  to  see  you  still  afloat,  in  your 
glory." 

The  commodore,  a  tall,  thin,  athletic  man  of  seven 
ty,  with  a  white  head,  and  movements  that  were 
quick  as  those  of  a  boy,  had  not  glanced  aside  at  the 
approaching  boat,  until  he  was  thus  saluted  in  the 
well-known  voice  of  John  Effingham.  He  then  turned 
his  head,  however,  and  scanning  the  whole  party 
through  his  spectacles,  he  smiled  good-naturedly,  made 


220  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

a  flourish  with  one  hand,  while  he  continued  paddling 
with  the  other,  for  he  stood  erect  and  straight  in  the 
stern  of  his  skiff,  and  answered  heartily — 

"  A  fine  morning,  Mr.  John,  and  the  right  time  of 
the  moon  for  boating.  This  is  not  a  real  scientific 
day  for  the  fish,  perhaps ;  but  I  have  just  come  out  to 
see  that  all  the  points  and  bays  are  in  their  right 
places." 

"  How  is  it,  commodore,  that  the  water  near  the 
village  is  less  limpid  than  common,  and  that  even  up 
here,  we  see  so  many  specks  floating  on  its  sur 
face  ?" 

"  What  a  question  for  Mr.  John  Effingham  to  ask 
on  his  native  water !  So  much  for  travelling  in  far 
countries,  where  a  man  forgets  quite  as  much  as  he 
learns,  I  fear."  Here  the  commodore  turned  entirely 
round,  and  raising  an  open  hand  in  an  oratorical  man 
ner,  he  added, — "  You  must  know,  ladies  and  gentle 
men,  that  the  lake  is  in  blow." 

"  In  blow,  commodore !  I  did  not  know  that  the 
lake  bore  its  blossoms." 

"  It  does,  sir,  nevertheless.  Ay,  Mr.  John,  and  its 
fruits,  too ;  but  the  last  must  be  dug  for,  like  pota 
toes.  There  have  been  no  miraculous  draughts  of 
the  fishes,  of  late  years,  in  the  Otsego,  ladies  and  gen 
tlemen;  but  it  needs  the  scientific  touch,  and  the  know 
ledge  of  baits,  to  get  a  fin  of  any  of  your  true  game 
above  the  water,  now-a-days.  Well,  I  have  had  the 
head  of  the  sogdollager  thrice  in  the  open  air,  in  my 
time;  though  I  am  told  the  admiral  actually  got  hold 
of  him  once  with  his  hand." 

"  The  sogdollager,"  said  Eve,  much  amused  with 
the  singularities  of  the  man,  whom  she  perfectly  re 
membered  to  have  been  commander  of  the  lake,  even 
in  her  own  infancy;  "we  must  be  indebted  to  you 
for  an  explanation  of  that  term,  as  well  as  for  the 
meaning  of  your  allusion  to  the  head  and  the  open 
air." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  221 

a 


"  A  sogdollager,  young  lady,  is  the  perfection  of  a 
thing.  I  know  Mr.  Grant  used  to  say  there  was  no 
such  word  in  the  dictionary ;  but  then  there  are  many 
words  that  ought  to  be  in  the  dictionaries  that  have 
been  forgotten  by  the  printers.  In  the  way  of  salmon 
trout,  the  sogdollager  is  their  commodore.  Now,  la 
dies  and  gentlemen,  I  should  not  like  to  tell  you  all  I 
know  about  the  patriarch  of  this  lake,  for  you  would 
scarcely  believe  me  ;  but  if  he  would  not  weigh  a 
hundred  when  cleaned,  there  is  not  an  ox  in  the  county 
that  will  weigh  a  pound  when  slaughtered." 

"  You  say  you  had  his  head  above  water  ?"  said 
John  Effingham. 

"  Thrice,  Mr.  John.  The  first  time  was  thirty 
years  ago  ;  and  I  confess  I  lost  him,  on  that  occa 
sion,  by  want  of  science ;  for  the  art  is  not  learned  in 
a  day,  and  I  had  then  followed  the  business  but  ten 
years.  The  second  time  was  five  years  later ;  and  I 
had  then  been  fishing  expressly  for  the  old  gentleman, 
about  a  month.  For  near  a  minute,  it  was  a  matter 
of  dispute  between  us,  whether  he  should  come  out 
of  the  lake  or  I  go  into  it ;  but  I  actually  got  his  gills 
in  plain  sight.  That  was  a  glorious  haul !  Washing- 
ington  did  not  feel  better  the  night  Cornwallis  surren 
dered,  than  I  felt  on  that  great  occasion  !" 

"  One  never  knows  the  feelings  of  another,  it 
seems.  I  should  have  thought  disappointment  at  the 
loss  would  have  been  the  prevailing  sentiment  on  that 
great  occasion,  as  you  so  justly  term  it." 

"  So  it  would  have  been,  Mr.  John,  with  an  unsci 
entific  fisherman ;  but  we  experienced  hands  know 
better.  Glory  is  to  be  measured  by  quality,  and  not 
by  quantity,  ladies  and  gentlemen ;  and  I  look  on  it 
as  a  greater  feather  in  a  man's  cap,  to  see  the  sog- 
dollager's  head  above  water,  for  half  a  minute,  than 
to  bring  home  a  skiff  filled  with  pickerel.  The  last 
time  I  got  a  look  at  the  old  gentleman,  I  did  not  try 
to  get  him  into  the  boat,  but  we  sat  and  conversed 
19* 


22  HOME    AS    FOUJfD. 

for  near  two  minutes ;  he  in  the  water,  and  I  in  the 
skiff." 

"Conversed!"  exclaimed  Eve,  "and  with  a  fish, 
too !  What  could  the  animal  have  to  say  !" 

"  Why,  young  lady,  a  fish  can  talk  as  well  as  one 
of  ourselves  ;  the  only  difficulty  is  to  understand  what 
he  says.  I  have  heard  the  old  settlers  affirm,  that  the 
Leather-stocking  used  to  talk  for  hours  at  a  time,  with 
the  animals  of  the  forest." 

"  You  knew  the  Leather-stocking,  commodore  ?" 

"  No,  young  lady,  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  never  had 
the  pleasure  of  looking  on  him  even.  Heicas  a  great 
man!  They  may  talk  of  their  JefFersons  and  Jack- 
sons,  but  I  set  down  Washington  and  Natty  Bumppc 
as  the  two  only  really  great  men  of  my  time." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  Bonaparte,  commodore  ?" 
inquired  Paul. 

"  Well,  sir,  Bonaparte  had  some  strong  points 
about  him,  I  do  really  believe.  But  he  could  have 
been  nothing  to  the  Leather-stocking,  in  the  woods  ! 
It's  no  great  matter,  young  gentleman,  to  be  a  great 
man  among  your  inhabitants  of  cities — what  fcall 
umbrella  people.  Why,  Natty  was  almost  as  great 
with  the  spear  as  with  the  rifle;  though  I  never 
heard  that  he  got  a  sight  of  the  sogdollager." 

"  We  shall  meet  again  this  summer,  commodore," 
said  John  Effingham ;  "  the  ladies  wish  to  hear  the 
echoes,  and  we  must  leave  you." 

"  All  very  natural,  Mr.  John,"  returned  tne  com 
modore,  laughing,  and  again  flourishing  his  hand  in 
his  own  peculiar  manner.  "  The  women  all  love  to 
hear  the  echoes,  for  they  are  not  satisfied  with  what 
they  have  once  said,  but  they  like  to  hear  it  over 
again.  I  never  knew  a  lady  come  on  the  Otsego,  but 
one  of  the  first  things  she  did  was  to  get  paddled  to 
the  Speaking  Rocks,  to  have  a  chat  with  herself.  They 
come  out  in  such  numbers,  sometimes,  and  then  all 
talk  at  once,  in  a  way  quite  to  confuse  the  echo  I 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  223 

ippose  you  have  heard,  young  lady,  the  opinion  peo- 
pifc  have*  now  got  concerning  these  voices." 

"  I  cannot  say  I  have  ever  heard  more  than  that 
they  are  some  of  the  most  perfect  echoes  known ;" 
answered  Eve,  turning  her  body,  so  as  to  face  the 
old  man,  as  the  skiff  of  the  party  passed  that  of  the 
veteran  fisherman. 

"  Some  people  maintain  that  there  is  no  echo  at  all, 
and  that  the  sounds  we  hear  come  from  the  spirit  of 
the  Leather-stocking,  which  keeps  about  its  old  haunts, 
and  repeats  every  thing  we  say,  in  mockery  of  our 
invasion  of  the  woods.  I  do  not  say  this  notion  is 
true,  or  that  it  is  my  own  ;  but  we  all  know  that  Nat 
ty  did  dislike  to  see  a  new  settler  arrive  in  the  moun 
tains,  and  that  he  loved  a  tree  as  a  muskrat  loves 
water.  They  show  a  pine  up  here  on  the  side  of  the 
Vision,  which  he  notched  at  every  new-comer,  until 
reaching  seventeen,  his  honest  old  heart  could  go  no 
farther,  and  he  gave  the  matter  up  in  despair." 

"  This  is  so  poetical,  commodore,  it  is  a  pity  it 
cannot  be  true.  I  like  this  explanation  of  the  'Speak 
ing  Rocks,'  much  better  than  that  implied  by  the  name 
of '  Fairy  Spring.' " 

"  You  are  quite  right,  young  lady,"  called  out  the 
fisherman,  as  the  boats  separated  still  farther ;  "  there 
never  was  any  fairy  known  in  Otsego ;  but  the  time 
has  been  when  we  could  boast  of  a  Natty  Bumppo." 

Here  the  commodore  flourished  his  hand  again, 
and  Eve  nodded  her  adieus.  The  skiff  of  the  party 
continued  to  pull  slowly  along  the  fringed  shore,  oc 
casionally  sheering  more  into  the  lake,  to  avoid  some 
overhanging  and  nearly  horizontal  tree,  and  then  re 
turning  so  closely  to  the  land,  as  barely  to  clear  the 
pebbles  of  the  narrow  strand  writh  the  oar. 

Eve  thought  she  had  never  beheld  a  more  wild  or 
beautifully  variegated  foliage,  than  that  which  the 
whole  leafy  mountain-side  presented.  More  than  half 
of  the  foiest  of  tall,  solemn  pines,  that  had  veiled  the 


224  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

earth  when  the  country  was  first  settled,  had  already 
disappeared ;  but,  agreeably  to  one  of  the  mysterious 
laws  by  which  nature  is  governed,  a  rich  second 
growth,  that  included  nearly  every  variety  of  Ameri 
can  wood,  had  shot  up  in  their  places.  The  rich 
Rembrandt-like  hemlocks,  in  particular,  were  per 
fectly  beautiful,  contrasting  admirably  with  the  live 
lier  tints  of  the  various  deciduous  trees.  Here  and 
there,  some  flowering  shrub  rendered  the  picture 
gay,  while  masses  of  the  rich  chestnut,  in  blossom, 
lay  in  clouds  of  natural  glory  among  the  dark  tops  of 
the  pines. 

The  gentlemen  pulled  the  light  skiff  fully  a  mile 
under  this  overhanging  foliage,  occasionally  fright 
ening  some  migratory  bird  from  a  branch,  or  a  wa 
ter-fowl  from  the  narrow  strand.  At  length,  John  Ef- 
fingham  desired  them  to  cease  rowing,  and  managing 
the  skiff  for  a  minute  or  two  with  the  paddle  which 
he  had  used  in  steering,  he  desired  the  whole  party 
to  look  up,  announcing  to  them  that  they  were  beneath 
the  *  Silent  Pine.' 

A  common  exclamation  of  pleasure  succeeded  the 
upward  glance ;  for  it  is  seldom  that  a  tree  is  seen  to 
more  advantage  than  that  which  immediately  attract 
ed  every  eye.  The  pine  stood  on  the  bank,  with  its 
roots  embedded  in  the  earth,  a  few  feet  higher  than  the 
level  of  the  lake,  but  in  such  a  situation  as  to  bring 
the  distance  above  the  water  into  the  apparent  height 
of  the  tree.  Like  all  of  its  kind  that  grows  in  the 
dense  forests  of  America,  its  increase,  for  a  thousand 
years,  had  been  upward;  and  it  now  stood  in  solitary 
glory,  a  memorial  of  what  the  mountains  which  were 
yet  so  rich  in  vegetation  had  really  been  in  their  days 
of  nature  and  pride.  For  near  a  hundred  feet  above 
the  eye,  the  even  round  trunk  was  branchless,  and 
then  commenced  the  dark-green  masses  of  foliage, 
which  clung  around  the  stem  like  smoke  ascending  in 
wreaths.  The  tall  column-like  tree  had  inclined  to- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  225 

wards  the  light  when  struggling  among  its  fellows, 
and  it  now  so  far  overhung  the  lake,  that  its  summit 
may  have  been  some  ten  or  fifteen  feet  without  the 
base.  A  gentle,  graceful  curve  added  to  the  effect 
of  this  variation  from  the  perpendicular,  and  infused 
enough  of  the  fearful  into  the  grand,  to  render  the 
picture  sublime.  Although  there  was  not  a  breath 
of  wind  on  the  lake,  the  currents  were  strong  enough 
above  the  forest  to  move  this  lofty  object,  and  it  was 
just  possible  to  detect  a  slight,  graceful  yielding  of 
the  very  uppermost  boughs  to  the  passing  air. 

"  This  pine  is  ill-named,"  cried  Sir  George  Tem- 
plemore,  "  for  it  is  the  most  eloquent  tree  eye  of  mine 
has  ever  looked  on  !" 

"  It  is,  indeed,  eloquent,"  answered  Eve ;  "  one 
hears  it  speak  even  now  of  the  fierce  storms  that  have 
whistled  round  its  tops — of  the  seasons  that  have 
passed  since  it  extricated  that  verdant  cap  from  the 
throng  of  sisters  that  grew  beneath  it,  and  of  all  that 
has  passed  on  the  Otsego,  when  this  limpid  lake  lay, 
like  a  gem  embedded  in  the  forest.  When  the  Con 
queror  first  landed  in  England,  this  tree  stood  on  the 
spot  where  it  now  stands  !  Here,  then,  is  at  last, 
an  American  antiquity !" 

"  A  true  and  regulated  taste,  Miss  Effingham," 
said  Paul,  "  has  pointed  out  to  you  one  of  the  real 
charms  of  the  country.  Were  we  to  think  less  of 
the  artificial,  and  more  of  our  natural  excellencies, 
we  should  render  ourselves  less  liable  to  criticism." 

Eve  was  never  inattentive  when  Paul  spoke ;  and 
her  colour  heightened,  as  he  paid  this  compliment  to 
her  taste,  but  still  her  soft  blue  eye  was  riveted  on 
the  pine. 

"  Silent  it  may  be,  in  one  respect,  but  it  is,  indeed, 
all  eloquence  in  another,"  she  resumed,  with  a  fer 
vour  that  was  not  lessened  by  Paul's  remark.  "  That 
crest  of  verdure,  which  resembles  a  plume  of  fea- 


226  HOME   AS    FOUND, 

thers,  speaks  of  a  thousand  things  to  the  imagina. 
tion." 

"  I  have  never  known  a  person  of  any  poetry,  who 
came  under  this  tree,"  said  John  Effingham* "  that 
did  not  fall  into  this  very  train  of  thought.  I  once 
brought  a  man  celebrated  for  his  genius  here,  and, 
after  gazing  for  a  minute  or  two  at  the  high,  green 
tuft  that  tops  the  tree,  he  exclaimed,  *  that  mass  of 
green  waved  there  in  the  fierce  light  when  Columbus 
first  ventured  into  the  unknown  sea.'  It  is,  indeed, 
eloquent ;  for  it  tells  the  same  glowing  tale  to  all  who 
approach  it — a  tale  fraught  with  feeling  and  recol 
lections." 

"  And  yet  its  silence  is,  after  all,  its  eloquence," 
added  Paul ;  "  and  the  name  is  not  so  misplaced  as 
one  might  at  first  think." 

"  It  probably  obtained  its  name  from  some  fancied 
contrast  to  the  garrulous  rocks  that  lie  up  yonder, 
half  concealed  by  the  forest.  If  you  will  ply  the 
oars,  gentlemen,  we  will  now  hold  a  little  communion 
with  the  spirit  of  the  Leather-stocking." 

The  young  men  complied;  and  in  about  five  min 
utes,  the  skiff  was  off  in  the  lake,  at  the  distance  of 
fifty  rods  from  the  shore,  where  the  whole  mountain 
side  came  at  one  glance  into  the  view.  Here  they 
lay  on  their  oars,  and  John  Effingham  called  out  to 
the  rocks  a  "  good  morning,"  ia  a  clear  distinct 
voice.  The  mocking  sounds  were  thrown  back 
again,  with  a  closeness  of  resemblance  that  actually 
startled  the  novice.  Then  followed  other  calls  and 
other  repetitions  of  the  echoes,  which  did  not  lose  the 
minutest  intonation  of  the  voice. 

"  This  actually  surpasses  the  celebrated  echoes  of 
the  Rhine,"  cried  the  delighted  Eve ;  "  for,  though 
those  do  give  the  strains  of  the  bugle  so  clearly,  I  do 
not  think  they  answer  to  the  voice  with  so  much 
fidelity," 

"  You  are  very  right,  Eve,"  replied  her  kinsman, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  227 

*  for  I  can  recall  no  place  where  so  perfect  and  ac 
curate  an  echo  is  to  be  heard  as  at  these  speaking 
rocks.     By  increasing  our  distance  to  half  a  mile, 
and  using  a  bugle,  as  I  well  know,  from  actual  ex 
periment,  we  should  get  back  entire  passages  of  an 
air.     The  interval  between  the  sound  and  the  echo, 
too,  would  be  distinct,  and  would  give  time  for  an 
undivided  attention.     Whatever  may  be  said  of  the 

*  pine/  these  rocks  are  most  aptly  named  ;  and  if  the 
spirit  of  Leather-stocking  has  any  concern  with  the 
matter,  he  is  a  mocking  spirit." 

John  Effingham  now  looked  at  his  watch,  and 
then  he  explained  to  the  party  a  pleasure  he  had  in 
store  for  them.  On  a  sort  of  small,  public  prome 
nade,  that  lay  at  the  point  where  the  river  flowed 
out  of  the  lake,  stood  a  rude  shell  of  a  building  that 
was  called  the  "  gun-house."  Here,  a  speaking  pic 
ture  of  the  entire  security  of  the  country,  from  foes 
within  as  well  as  from  foes  without,  were  kept  two 
or  three  pieces  of  field  artillery,  with  doors  so  open 
that  any  one  might  enter  the  building,  and  even  use 
the  guns  at  will,  although  they  properly  belonged  to 
the  organized  corps  of  the  state. 

One  of  these  guns  had  been  sent  a  short  distance 
down  the  valley;  and  John  Effingham  informed  his 
companions  that  they  might  look  momentarily  for  its 
reports  to  arouse  the  echoes  of  the  mountains.  He 
was  still  speaking  when  the  gun  was  fired,  its  muzzle 
being  turned  eastward.  The  sound  first  reached  the 
side  of  the  Vision,  abreast  of  the  village,  whence  the 
reverberations  reissued,  and  rolled  along  the  range, 
from  cave  to  cave,  and  cliff  to  cliff,  and  wood  to 
wood,  until  they  were  lost,  like  distant  thunder,  two 
or  three  leagues  to  the  northward.  The  experi 
ment  was  thrice  repeated,  and  always  with  the  same 
magnificent  effect,  the  western  hills  actually  echo 
ing  the  echoes  of  the  eastern  mountains,  like  the  dying 
strains  of  some  falling  music. 


228  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

"  Such  a  locality  would  be  a  treasure  in  the  vicinity 
of  a  melo-dramatic  theatre,"  said  Paul,  laughing,  "  for 
certainly,  no  artificial  thunder  I  have  ever  heard  has 
equalled  this.  This  sheet  of  water  might  even  re 
ceive  a  gondola." 

"  And  yet,  I  fear  one  accustomed  to  the  boundless 
horizon  of  the  ocean,  might  in  time  weary  of  it,"  an 
swered  John  Effingham,  significantly. 

Paul  made  no  answer ;  and  the  party  rowed  away 
in  silence. 

"  Yonder  is  the  spot  where  we  have  so  long  been 
accustomed  to  resort  for  Pic-Nics,"  said  Eve,  pointing 
out  a  lovely  place,  that  was  beautifully  shaded  by  oid 
oaks,  and  on  which  stood  a  rude  house  that  was  much 
dilapidated,  and  indeed  injured,  by  the  hands  of  man.- 
John  Effingham  smiled,  as  his  cousin  showed  the 
place  to  her  companions,  promising  them  an  early 
and  a  nearer  view  of  its  beauties. 

"  By  the  way,  Miss  Effingham,"  he  said,  "  I  sup 
pose  you  flatter  yourself  with  being  the  heiress  of  that 
desirable  retreat  1" 

"  It  is  very  natural  that,  at  some  day,  though  1 
trust  a  very  distant  one,  I  should  succeed  to  that 
which  belongs  to  my  dear  father." 

"  Both  natural  and  legal,  my  fair  cousin  ;  but  you 
are  yet  to  learn  that  there  is  a  power  that  threatens 
to  rise  up  and  dispute  your  claim." 

"  What  power — human  power,  at  least — can  dis 
pute  the  lawful  claim  of  an  owner  to  his  property  ? 
That  Point  has  been  ours  ever  since  civilized  man 
has  dwelt  among  these  hills ;  who  will  presume  to  rob 
us  of  it?" 

"  You  will  be  much  surprised  to  discover  that  there 
is  such  a  power,  and  that  there  is  actually  a  disposi 
tion  to  exercise  it.  The  public — the  all-powerful, 
omnipotent,  overruling,  law-making,  law-breaking 
public — has  a  passing  caprice  to  possess  itself  of  youi 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  229 

beloved  Point ;  and  Ned  Effingliam  must  show  unu 
sual  energy,  or  it  will  get  it  ?" 

"  Are  you  serious,  cousin  Jack  ?" 

"  As  serious  as  the  magnitude  of  the  subject  can 
render  a  responsible  being,  as  Mr.  Dodge  would  say." 

Eve  said  no  more,  but  she  looked  vexed,  and  re 
mained  almost  silent  until  they  landed,  when  she  has 
tened  to  seek  her  father,  with  a  view  to  communicate 
what  she  had  heard.  Mr.  Effingham  listened  to  his 
daughter,  as  he  always  did,  with  tender  interest;  and 
when  she  had  done,  he  kissed  her  glowing  cheek,  bid 
ding  her  not  to  believe  that  which  she  seemed  so  seri 
ously  to  dread,  possible. 

"But.  cousin  John  would  not  trifle  with  me  on  such 
a  subject,  father,"  Eve  continued  ?  "  he  knows  how 
much  I  prize  all  those  little  heir-looms  that  are  con 
nected  with  the  affections." 

"  We  can  inquire  further  into  the  affair,  my  child, 
if  it  be  your  desire ;  ring  for  Pierre,  if  you  pfease." 

Pierre  answered,  and  a  message  was  sent  to  Mr. 
Bragg,  requiring  his  presence  in  the  library. 

Aristabulus  appeared,  by  no  means  in  the  best  hu 
mour,  for  he  disliked  having  been  omitted  in  the  late 
excursion  on  the  lake,  fancying  that  he  had  a  com 
munity-right  to  share  in  all  his  neighbour's  amuse 
ments,  though  he  had  sufficient  self-command  to  con 
ceal  his  feelings. 

"  I  wish  to  know,  sir,"  Mr.  Effingham  commenced, 
without  introduction,  "  whether  there  can  be  any 
mistake  concerning  the  ownership  of  the  Fishing 
Point  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake." 

"  Certainly  not,  sir  ;  it  belongs  to  the  public." 

Mr.  Effingham's  cheek  glowed,  and  he  looked  as 
tonished  ;  but  he  remained  calm. 

"  The  public  !  Do  you  gravely  affirm,  Mr.  Bragg, 
that  the  public  pretends  to  claim  that  Point?" 

"  Claim,  Mr.  Effingham  !  as  long  as  I  have  resided 
in  this  county,  I  have  never  heard  its  right  disputed.* 
20 


230  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

"  Your  residence  in  this  county,  sir,  is  not  of  verv 
ancient  date,  and  nothing  is  easier  than  that  you  may 
be  mistaken.  I  confess  some  curiosity  to  know  in 
what  manner  the  public  has  acquired  its  title  to  the 
spot.  You  are  a  lawyer,  Mr.  Bragg,  and  may  give 
an  intelligible  account  of  it." 

"  Why.  sir,  your  father  gave  it  to  them  in  his  life 
time.  Every  body,  in  all  this  region,  will  tell  you  as 
much  as  this." 

"  Do  you  suppose,  Mr.  Bragg,  there  is  any  body  in 
all  this  region  who  will  swear  to  the  fact?  Proof, 
you  well  know,  is  very  requisite  even  to  obtain  jus 
tice." 

"  I  much  question,  sir,  if  there  be  any  body  in  all 
this  region  that  will  not  swear  to  the  fact.  It  is  the 
common  tradition  of  the  whole  country;  and,  to  be 
frank  with  you,  sir,  there  is  a  little  displeasure,  be 
cause  Mr.  John  Effingham  has  talked  of  giving  pri 
vate  entertainments  on  the  Point." 

"  This,  then,  only  shows  how  idly  and  inconsider 
ately  the  traditions  of  the  country  take  their  rise 
But,  as  I  wish  to  understand  all  the  points  of  the  case, 
do  me  the  favour  to  walk  into  the  village,  and  inquirt 
of  those  whom  you  think  the  best  informed  in  thfc 
matter,  what  they  know  of  the  Point,  in  order  that  I 
may  regulate  my  course  accordingly.  Be  particular, 
if  you  please,  on  the  subject  of  title,  as  one  would  not 
wish  to  move  in  the  darik." 

Aristabulus  quitted  the  house  immediately,  and  Eve, 
perceiving  that  things  were  in  the  right  train,  left  her 
father  alone  to  meditate  on  what  had  just  passer* 
Mr.  Effingham  walked  up  and  down  his  library  for 
some  time,  much  disturbed,  for  the  spot  in  question 
was  identified  with  all  his  early  feelings  and  recollec 
tions ;  and  if  there  were  a  foot  of  land  on  earth,  to 
which  he  was  more  attached  than  to  all  others,  next 
to  his  immediate  residence,  it  was  this.  Still,  he  could 
not  •  rniceal  from  himself,  in  despite  of  his  opposition 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  231 

to  John  Effingham's  sarcasms,  that  his  native  country 
had  undergone  many  changes  since  he  last  resided  in 
it,  and  that  some  of  these  changes  were  quite  sensibly 
for  the  worse.  The  spirit  of  misrule  was  abroad,  and 
the  lawless  and  unprincipled  held  bold  language,  when 
it  suited  their  purpose  to  intimidate.  As  he  ran  over 
in  his  mind,  however,  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  the 
nature  of  his  right,  he  smiled  to  think  that  any  one 
should  contest  it,  and  sat  down  to  his  writing,  almost 
forgetting  that  there  had  been  any  question  at  all  on 
the  unpleasant  subject. 

Aristabulus  was  absent  for  several  hours,  nor  did 
he  return  until  Mr.  Effingham  was  dressed  for  dinner, 
and  alone  in  the  library,  again,  having  absolutely  lost 
all  recollection  of  the  commission  he  had  given  his 
agent. 

"  It  is  as  I  told  you,  sir — the  public  insists  that  it 
owns  the  Point ;  and  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  say,  Mr. 
Effingham,  that  the  public  is  determined  to  maintain 
its  claim." 

"  Then,  Mr.  Bragg,  it  is  proper  I  should  tell  the 
public  that  it  is  not  the  owner  of  the  Point,  but  that  / 
am  its  owner,  arid  that  I  am  determined  to  maintain 
my  claim." 

"  It  is  hard  to  kick  against  the  pricks,  Mr.  Effing 
ham." 

"  It  is  so,  sir,  as  the  public  will  discover,  if  it  per 
severe  in  invading  a  private  right." 

"  Why,  sir,  some  of  those  with  whom  I  have  con 
versed  have  gone  so  far  as  to  desire  me  to  tell  you — 
I  trust  my  motive  will  not  be  mistaken " 

"  If  you  have  any  communication  to  make,  Mr. 
Bragg,  do  it  without  reserve.  It  is  proper  I  should 
know  the  truth  exactly." 

"  Well,  then,  sir,  I  am  the  bearer  of  something  like 
a  defiance;  the  people  wish  you  to  know  that  they 
hold  your  right  cheaply,  and  that  they  laugh  at  't 
Not  to  mince  matters,  they  defy  you." 


232  HOME    AS 

"  I  thank  you  for  this  frankness,  Mr.  Bragg,  and  .> 
increases  my  respect  for  your  character.  Affairs  are 
now  at  such  a  pass,  that  it  is  necessary  to  act.  If 
you  will  amuse  yourself  with  a  book  for  a  moment,  I 
shall  have  further  occasion  for  your  kindness." 

Aristabulus  did  not  read,  for  he  was  too  much  filled 
with  wonder  at  seeing  a  man  so  coolly  set  about  con 
tending  with  that  awTul  public  which  he  himself  as 
habitually  deferred  to,  as  any  Asiatic  slave  defers  to 
his  monarch.  Indeed,  nothing  but  his  being  sustained 
by  that  omnipotent  power,  as  he  viewed  the  power  of 
the  public  to  be,  had  emboldened  him  to  speak  so 
openly  to  his  employer,  for  Aristabulus  felt  a  secret 
confidence  that,  right  or  wrong,  it  was  always  safe  in 
America  to  make  the  most  fearless  professions  in  fa- 
vo*--  3f  the  great  body  of  the  community.  In  the 
mean  time,  Mr.  Effingham  wrote  a  simple  advertise 
ment  against  trespassing  on  the  property  in  question, 
and  handed  it  to  the  other,  with  a  request  that  he 
would  have  it  inserted  in  the  number  of  the  vil 
lage  paper  that  was  to  appear  next  morning.  Mr. 
Bragg  took  the  advertisement,  and  went  to  execute 
the  duty  without  comment. 

The  evening  arrived  before  Mr.  Effingham  was 
again  alone,  when,  being  by  himself  in  the  library 
once  more,  Mr.  Bragg  entered,  full  of  his  subject. 
He  was  followed  by  John  Effingham,  who  had  gained 
an  inkling  of  what  had  passed. 

"  I  regret  to  say,  Mr.  Effingham,"  Aristabulus 
commenced,  "  that  your  advertisement  has  created 
one  of  the  greatest  excitements  it  has  ever  been  my 
ill-fortune  to  witness  in  Templeton." 

"  All  of  which  ought  to  be  very  encouraging  to  us, 
Mr.  Bragg,  as  men  under  excitement  are  usually 


••  Very  true,  sir,  as  regards  incfiviaua    excitement, 

t  this  is  a  public  excitement." 

"  I  am  not  at  all  aware  that  the  fact,  in  Hi       -ast 


HOME    AS    FOUND-  233 

alters  the  case.  If  one  excited  man  is  apt  to  do  silly 
things,  half  a  dozen  backers  will  be  very  likely  to  in 
crease  his  folly." 

Aristabulus  listened  with  wonder,  for  excitement 
was  one  of  the  means  for  effecting  public  objects,  so 
much  practised  by  men  of  his  habits,  that  it  had  never 
crossed  his  mind  any  single  individual  could  be  in 
different  to  its  effect.  To  own  the  truth,  he  had  anti 
cipated  so  much  unpopularity,  from  his  unavoidable 
connexion  with  the  affair,  as  to  have  contributed  him 
self  in  producing  the  excitement,  with  the  hope  of 
"  choking  Mr.  Effingham  off,"  as  he  had  elegantly 
expressed  it  to  one  of  his  intimates,  in  the  vernacular 
of  the  country. 

"  A  public  excitement  is  a  powerful  engine,  Mr. 
Effingham  !"  he  exclaimed,  in  a  sort  of  politico- 
pious  horror. 

"  I  am  fully  aware,  sir,  that  it  may  be  even  a  fear 
fully  powerful  engine.  Excited  men,  acting  in 'masses, 
compose  what  are  called  mobs,  and  have  committed 
a  thousand  excesses." 

"  Your  advertisement  is,  to  the  last  degree,  disrel 
ished  ;  to  be  very  sincere,  it  is  awfully  unpopular !'' 

"  I  suppose  it  is  always  what  you  term  an  unpop 
ular  act,  so  far  as  the  individuals  opposed  are  con 
cerned,  to  resist  aggression." 

"  But  they  call  your  advertisement  aggression,  sir." 

"  In  that  simple  fact  exist  all  the  merits  of  the 
question.  If  I  own  this  property,  the  public,  or  that 
portion  of  it  which  is  connected  with  this  affair,  are 
aggressors;  and  so  much  more  in  the  wrong  that  they 
are  many  against  one ;  if  they  own  the  property,  I 
am  not  only  wrong,  but  very  indiscreet." 

The  calmness  with  which  Mr.  Effingham  spoke 
had  an  effect  on  Aristabulus,  and,  for  a  moment,  he 
was  staggered.  It  was  only  for  a  moment,  however, 
as  the  pains  and  penalties  of  unpopularity  presented 
themselves  afresh  to  an  imagination  that  had  been  so 
20* 


234 


AS    FOUJTD. 


long  accustomed  to  study  the  popular  caprice,  that  it 
had  got  to  deem  the  public  favour  the  one  <rreat 
good  of  life. 

"  But  they  say,  they  own  the  Point,  Mr.  Effingham." 
"  And  /  say,  they  do  not  own  the  Point,  Mr.  Bragg  ; 
never  did  own  i*  ;  and,  with  my  consent,  never  shall 
owrn  it." 

^  "  This  is  purely  a  matter  of  fact,"  observed  John 
Effingham,  "  and  I  confess  I  am  curious  to  know  how 
or  whence  this  potent  public  derives  its  title.  You 
are  lawyer  enough,  Mr.  Bragg,  to  know  that  the 
public  can  hold  property  only  by  use,  or  by  especial 
statute.  Now,  under  which  title*  does  this  claim  pre 
sent  itself." 

"  First,  by  use,  sir,  and  then  by  especial  gift." 
"  The  use,  you  are  aware,  must  be  adverse,  or  as 
opposed  to  the  title  of  the  other  claimants.  Now,  I 
am  a  living  witness  that  my  late  uncle  permitted  the 
)ublic  to  use  this  Point,  and  that  the  public  accepted 
the  conditions.  Its  use,  therefore,  has  not  been  ad- 
\erse,  or,  at  least,  not  for  a  time  sufficient  to  make 
title.  Every  hour  that  my  cousin  has  permitted  the 
public  to  enjoy  his  property,  adds  to  his  right,  as  well 
as  to  the  obligation  conferred  on  that  public,  and  in 
creases  the  duty  of  the  latter  to  cease  intruding, 
whenever  he  desires  it.  If  there  is  an  especial  gift,  as 
I  understand  you  to  say,  from  my  late  uncle,  there 
must  also  be  a  law  to  enable  the  public  to  hold,  or  a 
trustee  ;  which  is  the  fact  ?" 

"  I  admit,  Mr.  John  Effingham,  that  I  have  seen 
neither  deed  nor  law.  and  I  doubt  if  the  latter  exist. 
Still  the  public  must  have  some  claim,  for  it  is  impos 
sible  that  every  body  should  be  mistaken." 

"  Nothing  is  easier,  nor  any  thing  more  common, 
than  for  whole  communities  to  be  mistaken,  ar,u 
more  particularly  when  they  commence  with  excite- 
ment." 

While   his  cousin  was  spiking,   Mr.  Effingham 


HOME    AS    FOUNIX 

went  to  a  secretary,  and  taking  out  a  large  bundle 
ei  papers,  he  laid  it  down  on  the  table,  unfolding  sev- 
eial  parchment  deeds,  to  which  massive  seals,  bearing 
the  arms  of  the  late  colony,  as  well  as  those  of  Eng 
land,  were  pendent. 

"  Here  are  my  titles,  sir,"  he  said,  addressing  Aris- 
tabulus  pointedly  ;  "  if  the  public  has  a  better,  let  it 
be  produced,  and  I  shall  at  once  submit  to  its  claim." 

"  No  one  doubts  that  the  King,  through  his  author- 
'zed  agent,  the  Governor  of  the  colony  of  New- York, 
granted  this  estate  to  your  predecessor,  Mr.  Effing- 
ham  ;  or  that  it  descended  legally  to  your  immediate 
parent;  but  all  contend  that  your  parent  gave  this 
spot  to  the  public,  as  a  spot  of  public  resort." 

"  I  am  glad  that  the  question  is  narrowed  down 
within  limits  that  are  so  easily  examined.  What  evi 
dence  is  there  of  this  intention,  on  the  part  of  my  late 
father?" 

"  Common  report;  I  have  talked  with  twenty  people 
in  the  village,  and  they  all  agree  that  the  *  Point'  has 
been  used  by  the  public,  as  public  property,  from  time 
immemorial." 

"  Will  you  be  so  good,  Mr.  Bragg,  as  to  name 
some  of  those  who  affirm  this." 

Mr.  Bragg  complied,  naming  quite  the  number  of 
persons  he  bad  mentioned,  with  a  readiness  that  prov 
ed  he  thought  he  was  advancing  testimony  of  weight. 

"Of  all  the  names  you  have  mentioned,"  returned 
Mr.  Effingham,  "  I  never  heard  but  three,  and  these 
are  the  names  of  mere  boys.  The  first  dozen  are 
certainly  the  names  of  persons  who  can  kwow  no 
more  of  this  village  than  they  have  gleaned  in  the  last 
few  years  ;  and  several  of  them,  I  understand,  have 
dwelt  among  us  but  a  few  weeks;  nay,  days." 

"  Have  I  not  told  you,  Ned,"  interrupted  John 
Effingham,  "that  an  American  'always'  means  eigh 
teen  months,  and  that 'time  immemorial'  is  only  since 
the  last  general  crisis  in  the  money  market!" 


236  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  The  persons  I  have  mentioned  compose  a  part  of 
the  population,  sir,"  added  Mr.  Bragg,  "  and,  one  and 
all,  they  are  ready  to  swear  that  your  father,  by  some 
means  or  other,  they  are  not  very  particular  as  to 
minutiae,  gave  them  the  right  to  use  this  property." 

'  They  are  mistaken,  and  I  should  be  sorry  that 
any  one  among  them  should  swear  to  such  a  false 
hood.  But  here  are  my  titles— let  them  show  better, 
or,  if  they  can,  any,  indeed." 

"  Perhaps  your  father  abandoned  the  place  to  the 
public;  this  might  make  a  good  claim." 

"  That  he  did  not,  I  am  a  living  proof  to  the  con 
trary  ;  he  left  it  to  his  heirs  at  his  death,  and  I  myself 
exercised  full  right  of  ownership  over  it,  until  I  went 
abroad.  I  did  not  travel  with  it  in  my  pocket,  sir,  it 
is  true ;  but  I  left  it  to  the  protection  of  the  laws, 
which,  I  trust,  are  as  available  to  the  rich  as  to  the 
poor,  although  this  is  a  free  country." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  suppose  a  jury  must  determine  the 
point,  as  you  seem  firm;  though  I  warn  you,  Mr. 
Effingham,  as  one  who  knows  his  country,  that  a  ver 
dict,  in  the  face  of  a  popular  feeling,  is  rather  a  hope 
less  matter.  If  they  prove  that  your  late  father  in 
tended  to  abandon  or  give  this  property  to  the  public, 
yoiK*  case  will  be  lost." 

Mr.  Effingham  looked  among  the  papers  a  moment, 
and  selecting  one,  he  handed  it  to  Mr.  Bragg,  first 
pointing  out  to  his  notice  a  particular  paragraph. 

'  This,  sir,  is  my  late  father's  will,"  Mr.  Effingham 
said  mildly;  "  and,  in  that  particular  clause,  you  will 
find  that  he  makes  a  special  devise  of  this  very 
'  Point,'  leaving  it  to  his  heirs,  in  such  terms  as  to 
put  any  intention  to  give  it  to  the  public  quite  out  of 
the  question.  This,  at  least,  is  the  latest  evidence  I. 
his  only  son,  executor,  and  heir  possess  of  his  fisa! 
wishes;  if  that  wondering  and  time-immemorial  pub 
lic  of  which  you  speak,  has  a  better,  I  wait  with 
patience  that  it  may  be  produced." 


FOME    AS    FOUND.  23* 

The  composed  manner  of  Mr.  Effingham  had  de 
ceived  Aristabulus,  who  did  not  anticipate  any  proof 
so  completely  annihilating  to  the  pretensions  of  the 
public,  as  that  he  now  held  in  his  hand.  It  was  a 
simple,  brief  devise,  disposing  of  the  piece  of  property 
in  question,  and  left  it  without  dispute,  that  Mr.  Effing- 
ham  had  succeeded  to  all  the  rights  of  his  father,  with 
no  reservation  or  condition  of  any  sort. 

"  This  is  very  extraordinary !"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Bragg,  when  he  had  read  the  clause  s^  ei»  times, 
each  perusal  contributing  to  leave  the  case  still  clearer 
in  favour  of  his  employer,  the  individual,  and  still 
stronger  against  the  hoped-for  future  employers,  the 
people.  "The  public  ought  to  know  of  this  bequest 
<  i  the  late  Mr.  Effingham." 

"  I  think  it  ought,  sir,  before  it  pretended  to  deprive 
his  child  of  his  property ;  or,  rather,  it  ought  to  be 
certain,  at  least,  that  there  was  no  such  devise." 

"  You  will  excuse  me,  Mr.  Effingham,  but  I  think 
it  is  incumbent  on  a  private  citizen,  in  a  case  of  this 
sort,  when  the  public  has  taken  up  a  wrong  notion, 
as  I  now  admit  is  clearly  the  fact  as  regards  the 
Point,  to  enlighten  it,  and  to  inform  it  that  it  does  not 
own  the  spot." 

"  This  has  been  done  already,  Mr.  Bragg,  in  the 
advertisement  you  had  the  goodness  to  carry  to  the 
printers,  although  I  deny  that  there  exists  any  sucf 
obligation." 

"  But,  sir,  they  object  to  the  mode  you  have  chosf  n 
to  set  them  right." 

"  The  mode  is  usual,  I  believe  in  the  case  of  tres 
passes." 

"  They  expect  something  different,  sir,  in  an  affair 
in  which  the  public  is — is — is — all — " 

•*  Wrong,"  put  in  John  Effingham,  pointedly.  "  I 
have  heard  something  of  this  out  of  doors,  Ned,  and 
blame  you  for  your  moderation.  Is  it  true  that  vou 
had  told  several  of  your  neighbours  that  you  have  ro 


AO    FOUJTD. 


wish  to  prevent  them  from  using  the  Point,  but  that 
your  sole  object  is  merely  to  settle  the  question  of 
right,  and  to  prevent  intrusions  on  your  family  when 
it  is  enjoying  its  own  place  of  retirement  ?" 

"  Certainly,  John,  my  only  wish  is  to  preserve  the 
property  for  those  to  whom  it  is  especially  devised, 
to  allow  those  who  have  the  best,  nay,  the  only  right 
to  it,  its  undisturbed  possession,  occasionally,  and&to 
prevent  any  more  of  that  injury  to  the  trees  that  has 
been  committed  by  some  of  those  rude  men,  who  al 
ways  fancy  themselves  so  completely  all  the  public, 
as  to  be  masters,  in  their  own  particular  persons, 
whenever  the  public  has  any  claim.  I  can  have  no 
wish  to  deprive  my  neighbours  of  the  innocent  plea 
sure  of  visiting  the  Point,  though  I  am  fully  deter 
mined  they  shall  not  deprive  me  of  my  property." 

"  You  are  far  more  indulgent  than*I  should  be,  or, 
perhaps,  than  you  will  be  yourself,  when  you  read 
this." 

As  John  Effingham  spoke,  he  handed  his  kinsman 
a  small  handbill,  which  purported  to  call  a  meeting 
for  that  night,  of  the  inhabitants  of  Templeton,  to  re 
sist  his  arrogant  claim  to  the  disputed  property.  This 
handbill  had  the  usual  marks  of  a  feeble  and  vulgar 
malignancy  about  it,  affectmg  to  call  Mr.  Effingham, 
"  one  Mr.  Effing/iam,"  and  it  was  anonymous. 

"  This  is  scarcely  worth  our  attention,  John,"  said 
Mr.  Effingham,  mildly.  "  Meetings  of  this  sort  r  Jn- 
npt  decide  a  legal  title,  and  no  man  who  respects 
himself  will  be  the  tool  of  so  pitiful  an  attempt  to 
frighten  a  citizen  from  maintaining  his  rights." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  as  respects  the  meeting,  which 
has  been  conceived  in  ignorance  and  low  malice,  and 
will  probably  end,  as  all  such  efforts  end,  in  ridicule. 
But  -  " 

"  Excuse  me,  Mr.  John,"  interrupted  Aristabulus, 
"  there  is  an  awful  excitement  !  Some  have  even 
spoken  of  Lynching  !" 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  239 

"  Then,"  said  Mr.  Effingham,  "  it  does,  indeed,  re 
quire  that  we  should  be  more  firm.  Do  you,  sir,  know 
of  any  person  who  has  dared  to  use  such  a  menace?" 

Aristabulus  quailed  before  the  stern  eye  of  Mr. 
Effingham,  and  he  regretted  having  communicated  so 
much,  though  he  had  communicated  nothing  but  the 
truth.  He  stammered  out  an  obscure  and  half-intel 
ligible  explanation,  and  proposed  to  attend  the  meet 
ing,  in  person,  in  order  that  he  might  be  in  the  way 
of  u  jderstanding  the  subject,  without  falling  into  the 
danger  of  mistaie,  To  this  Mr.  Effingham  assented, 
as  he  felt  too  iud.gnant  at  this  outrage  on  all  his 
rights,  whether  as  a  citizen  or  a  man,  to  wish  to  pur 
sue  the  subject  with  his  agent  that  night.  Aristabulus 
departed,  and  John  Effingham  remained  closeted  with 
his  kinsman  until  the  family  retired.  During  this  long 
interview,  the  former  communicated  many  things  to 
the  latter,  in  relation  :o  this  very  affair,  of  which  the 
owner  of  the  property,  until  then,  had  been  profoundly 
ignorant. 


240  HOME   AS    FOUND. 


CHAPTEE  XV. 


"  There  nhall  be,  in  England,  seven  half-penny  loaves  sold  for  a  penny, 
tlit,  three-hooped  pot  shall  have  ten  hoops  ;  and  I  will  make  it  felony  to 
drink  Mini]]  beer:  all  the  realm  shall  be  in  common,  and,  in  Cheapside  shall 
my  pulfrey  go  to  grass."  -  JACK  CADE. 


THOUGH  the  affair  of  the  Point  continued  to  agitate 
the  village  of  Templeton  next  day,  and  for  many  days 
it  was  little  remembered  in  the  Wigwam.  Confiden 
of  his  right,  Mr.  Effingham,  though  naturally  indig 
nant  at  the  abuse  of  his  long  liberality,  through  which 
alone  the  public  had  been  permitted  to  frequent  the 
place,  and  this  too,  quite  often,  to  his  own  discomfort 
and  disappointment,  had  dismissed  the  subject  tempo 
rarily  from  his  mind,  and  was  already  engaged  in  his 
ordinary  pursuits.  Not  so,  however,  with  Mr.  Bra™. 
Agreeably  to  promise,  he  had  attended  the  meetirTg  ; 
and  now  he  seemed  to  regulate  all  his  movements  by 
a  sort  of  mysterious  self-importance,  as  if  the  reposi 
tory  of  some  secret  of  unusual  consequence.  No  one 
regarded  his  manner,  however;  for  Aristabulus,  and 
his  secrets,  and  opinions,  were  all  of  too  little  va.ue, 
in  the  eyes  of  most  of  the  party,  to  attract  peculiar 
attention.  He  found  a  sympathetic  listener  in  Mr. 
Dodge,  happily;  tnat  person  having  been  invited, 
through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Effingham,  to  pass  the 
day  with  those  in  whose  company,  though  very  unwij. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  241 

lingly  on  the  editor's  part  certainly,  he  had  gone 
through  so  many  dangerous  trials.  These  two,  then, 
soon  became  intimate,  and  to  have  seen  their  shrugs, 
significant  whisperings,  and  frequent  conferences  in 
corners,  one  who  did  not  know  them,  might  have  fan 
cied  their  shoulders  burthened  with  the  weight  of  the 
state. 

But  all  this  pantomime,  which  was  intended  to 
awaken  curiosity,  was  lost  on  the  company  in  general. 
The  ladies,  attended  by  Paul  and  the  Baronet,  proceed 
ed  into  the  forest  on  foot,  for  a  morning's  walk,  while 
the  two  Messrs.  Effinghams  continued  to  read  the  daily 
journals,  that  were  received  from  town  each  morning, 
with  a  most  provoking  indifference.  Neither  Arlsta- 
bulus,  nor  Mr.  Dodge,  could  resist  any  longer ;  ahd, 
after  exhausting  their  ingenuity,  in  the  vain  effort  to 
induce  one  of  the  two  gentlemen  to  question  them  in 
relation  to  the  meeting  of  the  previous  night,  the  desire 
to  be  doing  fairly  overcame  their  affected  mysterious- 
ness,  and  a  formal  request  was  made  to  Mr.  Effing- 
ham  to  give  them  an  audience  in  the  library.  As  the 
latter,  who  suspected  the  nature  of  the  interview,  re 
quested  his  kinsman  to  make  one  in  it,  the  four  were 
soon  alone,  in  the  apartment  so  often  named. 

Even  now,  that  his  own  request  for  the  interview 
was  granted,  Aristabulus  hesitated  about  proceeding, 
until  a  mild  intimation  from  Mr.  Effingham  that  he  was 
ready  to  hear  his  communication,  told  the  agent  that 
it  was  too  late  to  change  his  determination. 

"  I  attended  the  meeting  last  night,  Mr.  Effingham," 
Aristabulus  commenced,  "  agreeably  to  our  arrange 
ment,  and  I  feel  the  utmost  regret  at  being  compelled 
to  lay  the  result  before  a  gentleman  for  whom  I  enter 
tain  so  profound  a  respect." 

"  There  was  then  a  meeting  ?"  said  Mr.  Effingham, 
inclining  his  body  slightly,  by  way  of  acknowledgment 
for  the  other's  compliment. 

*  There  was,  sir ;  and  I  think,  Mr.  Dodge,  we  may 
sav  an  overflowing  one." 


242  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  The  public  was  fairly  represented,"  returned  the 
editor,  "  as  many  as  fifty  or  sixty  having  been  pres 
ent." 

"  The  public  has  a  perfect  right  to  meet,  and  to  con 
sult  on  its  claims  to  anything  it  may  conceive  itself  en 
titled  to  enjoy,"  observed  Mr.  Effingham ;  "  I  can  have 
no  possible  objection  to  such  a  course,  though  I  think 
it  would  have  consulted  its  own  dignity  more,  had  it 
insisted  on  being  convoked  by  more  respectable  per 
sons  than  those  who,  I  understand,  were  foremost  in 
this  affair,  and  in  terms  better  suited  to  its  own  sense 
of  propriety." 

Aristabulus  glanced  at  Mr.  Dodge,  and  Mr.  Dodge 
glanced  back  at  Mr.  Bragg,  for  neither  of  these  politi 
cal  mushrooms  could  conceive  of  the  dignity  and  fair- 
mindedness  with  which  a  gentleman  could  view  an 
affair  of  this  nature. 

"  They  passed  a  set  of  resolutions,  Mr.  Effingham ;" 
Aristabulus  resumed,  with  the  gravity  with  which  he 
ever  spoke  of  things  of  this  nature.  "  A  set  of  resolu 
tions,  sir !" 

"  That  was  to  be  expected,"  returned  his  employer, 
smiling ;  "  the  Americans  are  a  set-of-resolutions-pass- 
ing  people.  Three  cannot  get  together,  without  naming 
a  chairman  and  secretary,  and  a  resolution  is  as  much 
a  consequence  of  such  an  'organization,' — I  believe 
that  is  the  approved  word, — as  an  egg  is  the  accom 
paniment  of  the  cackling  of  a  hen." 

"  But,  sir,  you  do  not  yet  know  the  nature  of  those 
resolutions]" 

"  Very  true,  Mr.  Bragg ;  that  is  a  piece  of  know 
ledge  I  am  to  have  the  pleasure  of  obtaining  from 
veu  " 

Again  Aristabulus  glanced  at  Steadfast,  and  Stead 
fast  threw  back  the  look  of  surprise,  for,  to  both  it  was 
matter  of  real  astonishment  that  any  man  should  be  so 
indifferent  to  the  resolutions  of  a  meeting  that  had  been 
regularly  organized,  with  a  chairman  and  secretary 


HOME    AS    FOLffD.  243 

at  its  head,  and  which  so  unequivocally  professed  to 
be  the  public. 

"  I  am  reluctant  to  discharge  this  duty,  Mr.  Effing 
ham,  but  as  you  insist  on  its  performance  it  must  be 
done.  In  the  first  place,  they  resolved  that  your  fa 
ther  meant  to  give  them  the  Point." 

"  A  decision  that  must  clearly  settle  the  matter,  and 
which  will  destroy  all  my  father's  own  resolutions  on  the 
same  subject.  Did  they  stop  at  the  Point,  Mr.  Bragg 
or  did  they  resolve  that  my  father  also  gave  them  his 
wife  and  children  ?" 

"  No,  sir,  nothing  was  said  concerning  the  latter." 
"  I  cannot  properly  express  my  gratitude  for  the  for 
bearance,  as  they  had  just  as  good  a  right  to  pass  this 
resolution,  as  to  pass  the  other." 

"  The  public's  is  an  awful  power,  Mr.  Effingham !" 
"  Indeed  it  is,  sir,  but  fortunately,  that  of  the  re-pub 
ic  is  still  more  awful,  and  I  shall  look  to  the  latter  for 
support,  in  this  *  crisis ' — that  is  the  word,  too,  is  it  not, 
Mr.  John  Effingham  ?" 

"  If  you  mean  a  change  of  administration,  the  upset 
ting  of  a  stage,  or  the  death  of  a  cart-horse ;  they  are 
all  equally  crisises,  in  the  American  vocabulary." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Bragg,  having  resolved  that  it  knew  my 
late  father's  intentions  better  than  he  knew  them  him 
self,  as  is  apparent  from  the  mistake  he  made  in  his 
will,  what  next  did  the  public  dispose  of,  in  the  pleni 
tude  of  its  Dower  ?' 

"  It  resolved,  sir,  that  it  was  your  duty  to  carry  out 
the  intentions  of  your  father." 

"  In  that,  then,  we  are  perfectly  of  a  mind ;  as  the 
public  will  most  probably  discoVer,  before  we  get 
through  with  this  matter.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
pious  resolutions  I  ever  knew  the  public  to  pass.  Did 
it  proceed  any  farther  ?" 

Mr.  Bragg,  notwithstanding  the  long-encouraged 
truckling  to  the  sets  of  men,  whom  he  was  accustomed 
to  dignify  with  the  name  of  the  public,  had  a  profound 


244  HOME    AS    FOUM). 

deference  "or  the  principles,  character,  and  station  of 
Mr.  Effingham,  that  no  sophistry,  or  self-encourage 
ment  in  the  practices  of  social  confusion,  could  over 
come;  and  he  paused  before  he  communicated  the  next 
resolution  to  his  employers.  But  perceiving  that  both 
the  latter  and  his  cousin  were  quietly  waiting  to  hear 
it,  he  was  fain  to  overcome  his  scruples. 

"  They  have  openly  libelled  you,  by  passing  resolu 
tions  declaring  you  to  be  odious." 

"  That,  indeed,  is  a  strong  measure,  and,  in  me  in 
terest  of  good  manners  and  of  good  morals,  it  may 
call  for  a  rebuke.  No  one  can  care  less  than  myself, 
Mr.  Bragg,  for  the  opinions  of  those  who  have  'suffi 
ciently  demonstrated  that  their  opinions  are  of  no  value, 
by  the  heedless  mariner  in  which  they  have  permitted 
themselves  to  fall  into  this  error ;  but  it  is  proceeding 
too  far,  when  a  few  members  of  the  community  pre 
sume  to  take  these  liberties  with  a  private  individual, 
and  that,  moreover,  in  a  case  affecting  a  pretended 
claim  of  their  own ;  and  I  desire  you  to  tell  those  con 
cerned,  that  if  they  dare  to  publish  their  resolution  de 
claring  me  to  be  odious,  I  will  teach  them  what  they 
now  do  not  appear  to  know,  that  we  live  in  a  country 
of  laws.  I  shall  not  prosecute  them,  but  I  shall  indict 

them  for  the  offence,  and  I  hope  this  is  plainly  ex- 

j ,,  » 

pressed. 

Aristabulus  stood  aghast!  To  indict  the  public  was 
a  step  he  had  never  heard  of  before,  and  he  began  to 
perceive  that  the  question  actually  had  two  sides.  Still, 
his  awe  of  public  meetings,  and  his  habitual  regard  for 
popularity,  induced  him  not  to  give  up  the  matter,  with 
out  another  struggle. 

"  They  have  already  ordered  their  proceedings  to  be 
published,  Mr.  Effingham  !"  he  said,  as  if  such  an  order 
were  not  to  be  countermanded. 

"  I  fancy,  sir,  that  when  it  comes  to  the  issue,  and 
the  penalties  of  a  prosecution  present  themselves,  their 
leaders  will  begin  to  recollect  their  individuality,  and 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  245 

to  think  less  of  their  public  character.  They  who 
hunt  in  droves,  like  wolves,  are  seldom  very  valiant 
when  singled  out  from  their  pack.  The  end  will  show." 

"  I  heartily  wish  this  unpleasant  affair  might  be  ami 
cably  settled,"  added  Aristabulus. 

"  One  might,  indeed,  fancy  so,"  observed  John  Ef- 
fingham,  "  since  no  one  likes  to  be  persecuted." 

"But,  Mr.  John,  the  public  thinks  itself  persecuted, 
in  this  affair." 

"  The  term,  as  applied  to  a  body  that  not  only  makes, 
but  which  executes,  the  law,  is  so  palpably  absurd, 
that  I  am  surprised  any  man  can  presume  to  use  it.  But, 
Mr.  Bragg,  you  have  seen  documents  that  cannot  err, 
and  know  that  the  public  has  not  the  smallest  right  to 
this  bit  of  land." 

"  All  very  true,  sir ;  but  you  will  please  to  remember, 
that  the  people  do  not  know  what  I  now  know." 

"  And  you  will  please  to  remember,  sir,  that  when 
oeople  choose  to  act  affirmatively,  in  so  high-handed  a 
manner  as  this,  they  are  bound  to  know  what  they  are 
about.  Ignorance  in  such  a  matter,  is  like  the  drunk 
ard's  plea  of  intoxication ;  it  merely  makes  the  offence 
worse." 

"  Do  you  not  think,  Mr.  John,  that  Mr.  Effingham 
might  have  acquainted  these  citizens  with  the  real  state 
of  the  case?  Are  the  people  so  very  wrong  that  they 
have  fallen  into  a  mistake  ?" 

"  Since  you  ask  this  question  plainly,  Mr.  Bragg,  it 
shall  be  answered  with  equal  sincerity.  Mr.  Effing- 
ham  is  a  man  of  mature  years ;  the  known  child,  ex 
ecutor,  and  heir  of  one  who,  it  is  admitted  all  round, 
was  the  master  of  the  controverted  property.  Knowing 
his  own  business,  this  Mr.  Effingham,  in  sight  of  the 
grave  of  his  fathers,  beneath  the  paternal  roof,  has  the 
intolerable  impudence " 

"  Arrogance  is  the  word,  Jack,"  said  Mr.  Effing 
ham,  smiling. 

"  Ay  'V  intolerable  arrogance  to  suppose  that  his 
21* 


246  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

own  is  his  own ;  and  this  he  dares  to  affirm,  without 
having  had  the  politeness  to  send  his  title-deeds,  and 
private  papers,  round  to  those  who  have  been  so  short 
a  time  in  the  place,  that  they  might  well  know  every 
thing  that  has  occurred  in  it  for  the  last  half  century. 
Oh  thou  naughty,  arrogant  fellow,  Ned !" 

"  Mr.  John,  you  appear  to  forget  that  the  public  has 
more  claims  to  be  treated  with  attention,  than  a  single 
individual.  If  it  has  fallen  into  error,  it  ought  to  be 
undeceived." 

"  No  doubt,  sir ;  and  I  advise  Mr.  Effingham  to  send 
you,  his  agent,  to  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  the 
county,  with  the  Patent  of  the  King,  all  the  mesne  con 
veyances  and  wills,  in  your  pocket,  in  order  that  you 
may  read  them  at  length  to  each  individual,  with  a 
view  that  every  man,  woman  and  child,  may  be  satis 
fied  that  he  or  she  \s  not  me  owner  of  Edward  Effing- 
ham's  lands !" 

*'  Nay,  sir,  a  shorter  process  might  be  adopted." 

•*  It  might,  indeed,  sir,  and  such  a  process  has  been 
adopted  by  my  cousin,  in  giving  the  usual  notice,  in 
the  news-paper,  against  trespassing.  But,  Mr.  Bragg, 
you  must  know  that  I  took  great  pains,  three  years 
since,  when  repairing  this  house,  to  correct  the  mis 
take  on  this  very  point,  into  which  I  found  that  your 
immaculate  public  had  fallen,  through  its  disposition  to 
know  more  of  other  people's  affairs,  than  those  con 
cerned  knew  of  themselves." 

Aristabulus  said  no  more,  but  gave  the  matter  up 
in  despair.  On  quitting  the  house,  he  proceeded  forth 
with,  to  inform  those  most  interested  of  the  determina 
tion  of  Mr.  Effingham,  not  to  be  trampled  on  by  any 
pretended  meeting  of  the  public.  Common  sense,  not 
to  say  common  honesty,  began  to  resume  its  sway,  and 
prudence  put  in  its  plea,  by  way  of  applying  the  cor 
rective.  Both  he  and  Mr.  Dodge,  however,  agreed 
that  there  was  an  unheard-of  temerity  in  thus  resisting 
the  people,  and  this  too  without  a  commensurate 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


247 


object,  as  the  pecuniary  value:  of  the  disputed  poiu 
was  of  no  material  consequence  to  either  party. 

The  reader  is  not,  by  any  means,  to  suppose  that 
Aristabulus  Bragg  and  Steadfast  Dodge  belonged  to 
the  same  variety  of  the  human  species,  in  consequence 
of  their  unity  of  sentiment  in  this  affair,  and  certain 
other  general  points  of  resemblance  in  their  manner 
and  modes  of  thinking.  As  a  matter  of  necessity, 
each  partook  of  those  features  of  caste,  condition,  ori 
gin,  and  association  that  characterize  their  particular 
set ;  but  when  it  came  to  the  nicer  distinctions  that 
mark  true  individuality,  it  would  not  have  been  easy 
to  find  two  men  more  essentially  different  in  character. 
The  first  was  bold,  morally  and  physically,  aspiring, 
self-possessed,  shrewd,  singularly  adapteu  to  succeed 
in  his  schemes  where  he  knew  the  parties,  intelligent, 
after  his  tastes,  and  apt.  Had  it  been  his  fortune  to 
be  thrown  earlier  into  a  better  sphere,  the  same  natural 
qualities  that  rendered  him  so  expert  in  his  present 
situation,  would  have  conduced  to  his  improvement, 
and  most  probably  would  have  formed  a  gentleman,  a 
scholar,  and  one  who  could  have  contributed  largely 
to  the  welfare  and  tastes  of  his  fellow-creatures.  That 
such  was  not  his  fate,  was  more  his  misfortune  than 
his  fault,  for  his  plastic  character  had  readily  taken 
the  impression  of  those  things  that  from  propinquity 
alone,  pressed  hardest  on  it.  On  the  other  hand  Stead 
fast  was  a  hypocrite  by  nature,  cowardly,  envious,  and 
malignant ;  and  circumstances  had  only  lent  their  aid 
to  the  natural  tendencies  of  his  disposition.  That  two 
men  so  differently  constituted  at  their  births,  should 
meet,  as  it  might  be  in  a  common  centre,  in  so  many 
of  their  habits  and  opinions,  was  merely  the  result  of 
accident  and  education. 

Among  the  other  points  of  resemblance  between 
these  two  persons,  was  that  fault  of  confounding  the 
sause  with  the  effects  of  the  peculiar  institutions  under 
which  they  had  been  educated  and  lived.  Because 


248  HOME    AS    FOUrfD. 

the  law  gave  to  the  public,  that  authority  which,  undoi 
other  systems,  is  entrusted  either  to  one,  or  to  the  few 
they  believed  the  public  was  invested  with  far  more 
power  than  a  right  understanding  of  their  own  prin 
ciples  would  have  shown.  In  a  word,  both  these  per 
sons  made  a  mistake  which  is  getting  to  be  too  com 
mon  in  America,  that  of  supposing  the  institutions  of 
the  country  were  all  means  and  no  end.  Under  this 
erroneous  impression  they  saw  only  the  machinery  of 
the  government,  becoming  entirely  forgetful  that  the 
power  which  was  given  to  the  people  collectively,  was 
only  so  given  to  secure  to  them  as  perfect  a  liberty  as 
possible,  in  their  characters  of  individuals.  Neither 
had  risen  sufficiently  above  vulgar  notions,  to  under 
stand  that  public  opinion,  in  order  to  be  omnipotent,  01 
even  formidable  beyond  the  inflictions  of  the  moment, 
must  be  right;  and  that,  if  a  solitary  man  renders  him 
self  contemptible  by  taking  up  false  notions  incon 
siderately  and  unjustly,  bodies  of  men,  falling  into  the 
same  error,  incur  the  same  penalties,  with  the  addi 
tional  stigma  of  having  acted  as  cowards. 

There  was  also  another  common  mistake  into  which 
Messrs.  Bragg  and  Dodge  had  permitted  themselves? 
to  fall,  through  the  want  of  a  proper  distinction  be 
tween  principles.  Resisting  the  popular  will,  on  the 
part  of  an  individual,  they  considered  arrogance  and 
aristocracy,  per  sc,  without  at  all  entering  into  the 
question  of  the  right,  or  the  wrong.  The  people,  rightly 
enough  in  the  general  signification  of  the  term,  they 
deemed  to  be  sovereign ;  and  they  belonged  to  a  nume 
rous  class,  who  view  disobedience  to  the  sovereign  in 
a  democracy,  although  it  be  in  his  illegal  caprices,  very 
much  as  the  subject  of  a  despot  views  disobedience  to 
his  prince. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  that  Mr.  Effingham 
and  his  cousin  viewed  these  matters  differently.  Clear, 
headed,  just-minded,  and  liberal  in  all  his  practices,  the 
former,  in  particular,  was  greatly  pained  by  the  recent 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  24S 

occurrence ;  and  he  paced  his  library  in  silence,  for  se 
feral  minutes  after  Mr.  Bragg  and  his  companion  had 
withdrawn,  really  too  much  grieved  to  speak. 

"  This  is,  altogether,  a  most  extraordinary  proce 
dure,  John,"  he  at  length  observed,  "  and,  it  strikes  me, 
that  it  is  but  an  indifferent  reward  for  the  liberality 
with  which  I  have  permitted  others  to  use  my  proper 
ty,  these  thirty  years ;  often,  very  often,  as  you  well 
know,  to  my  own  discomfort,  and  to  that  of  my 
friends." 

"  I  have  told  you,  Ned,  that  you  were  not  to  expect 
the  America  on  your  return,  that  you  left  behind  you 
on  your  departure  for  Europe.  I  insist  that  no  coun 
try  has  so  much  altered  for  the  worse,  in  so  short  a 
time." 

"  That  unequalled  pecuniary  prosperity  should  sen 
sibly  impair  the  manners  of  what  is  termed  the  world, 
by  introducing  suddenly  large  bodies  of  uninstructea 
and  untrained  men  and  women  into  society,  is  a  natu 
ral  consequence  of  obvious  causes ;  that  it  should  cor 
rupt  morals,  even,  we  have  a  right  to  expect,  for  we 
^ire  taught  to  believe  it  the  most  corrupting  influence 
under  which  men  can  live ;  but,  I  confess,  I  did  not 
expect  to  see  the  day,  when  a  body  of  strangers,  birds 
of  passage,  creatures  of  an  hour,  should  assume  a  right 
o  call  on  the  old  and  long-established  inhabitants  of  a 
country,  to  prove  their  claims  to  their  possessions,  and 
this,  too,  in  an  unusual  and  unheard-of  manner,  under 
the  penalty  of  being  violently  deprived  of  them  !" 

"  Long  established !"  repeated  John  Effingham, 
laughing ;  "  what  do  you  term  long  established  ?  Have 
you  not  been  absent  a  dozen  years,  and  do  not  these 
people  reduce  everything  to  the  level  of  their  own  ha 
bits.  I  suppose,  now,  you  fancy  you  can  go  to  Rome, 
or  Jerusalem,  or  Constantinople,  and  remain  four  or 
five  lustres,  and  then  come  coolly  back  to  Templeton. 
and,  on  taking  possession  of  this  house  again,  call  your 
self  an  old  resident." 


250  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"I  certainly  do  suppose  I  have  that  right.  How 
many  English,  Russians,  and  Germans,  did  we  meet 
in  Italy,  the  residents  of  years,  who  still  retained  all 
their  natural  and  local  right  and  feelings  '" 

"  Ay,  that  is  in  countries  where  society  is  perma 
nent,  and  men  get  accustomed  to  look  on  the  same 
objects,  hear  the  same  names,  and  see  the  same  faces, 
for  their  entire  lives.  I  have  had  the  curiosity  to  in 
quire,  and  have  ascertained  that  none  of  the  old,  per 
manent  families  have  been  active  in  this  affair  of  the 
Point,  but  that  all  the  clamour  has  been  made  by  those 
you  call  the  birds  of  passage.  But  what  of  that  ? 
These  people  fancy  everything  reduced  to  the  legal 
six  months  required  to  vote ;  and  that  rotation  in  per 
sons  is  as  necessary  to  republicanism  as  rotation  in 
office." 

"Is  it  not  extraordinary  that  persons  who  can  know 
so  little  on  the  subject,  should  be  thus  indiscreet  and 
positive?" 

"  It  is  not  extraordinary  in  America.  Look  about  you. 
Ned,  and  you  will  see  adventurers  uppermost  every 
where  ;  in  the  government,  in  your  towns,  in  your  vil 
lages,  in  the  country,  even.  We  are  a  nation  of  changes. 
Much  of  this,  I  admit,  is  the  fair  consequence  of  le 
gitimate  causes,  as  an  immense  region,  in  forest,  can 
not  be  peopled  on  any  other  conditions.  But  this 
necessity  has  infected  the  entire  national  character, 
and  men  get  to  be  impatient  of  any  sameness,  even 
though  it  be  useful.  Everything  goes  to  confirm  this 
feeling,  instead  of  opposing  it.  The  constant  recur 
rences  of  the  elections  accustom  men  to  changes  in 
their  public  functionaries;  the  great  increase  in  the 
population  brings  new  faces ;  and  the  sudden  accumu 
lations  of  property  place  new  men  in  conspicuous  sta 
tions.  The  architecture  of  the  country  is  barely  be 
coming  sufficiently  respectable  to  render  it  desirable 
to  preserve  the  buildings,  without  which  we  shall  have 
no  monuments  to  revere.  In  short,  everything  con- 


AS  FOUMJ.  251 

tributes  to  pioduce  such  a  state  of  things,  painful  as  it 
may  be  to  all  of  any  feeling,  and  little  to  oppose  it." 

"  You  colour  highly,  Jack ;  and  no  picture  loses  in 
tints,  in  being  retouched  by  you." 

"  Look  into  the  first  paper  that  offers,  and  you  will 
see  the  young  men  of  the  country  hardily  invited  to 
meet  by  themselves,  to  consult  concerning  public  af 
fairs,  as  if  they  were  impatient  of  the  counsels  and  ex 
perience  of  their  fathers.  No  country  can  prosper, 
where  the  ordinary  mode  of  transacting  the  business 
connected  with  the  root  of  the  government,  commences 
with  this  impiety." 

"  This  is  a  disagreeable  feature  in  the  national  cha 
racter,  certainly ;  but  we  must  remember  the  arts  em 
ployed  by  the  designing  to  practise  on  the  inexperi 
enced." 

"  Had  I  a  son,  who  presumed  to  denounce  the  wis 
dom  and  experience  of  his  father,  in  this  disrespectful 
manner,  I  would  disinherit  the  rascal !" 

"Ah,  Jack,  bachelor's  children  are  notoriously  well 
educated,  and  well  mannered.  We  will  hope,  how 
ever,  that  time  will  bring  its  changes  also,  and  that 
one  of  them  will  be  a  greater  constancy  in  persons, 
things,  and  the  affections." 

"  Time  will  bring  its  changes,  Ned ;  but  all  of  them 
that  are  connected  with  individual  rights,  as  opposed 
to  popular  caprice,  or  popular  interests,  are  likely  to 
be  in  the  wrong  direction." 

"  The  tendency  is  certainly  to  substitute  popularity 
for  the  right,  but  we  must  take  the  good  with  the  bad. 
Even  you,  Jack,  would  not  exchange  this  popular  op 
pression  for  any  other  system  under  which  you  have 
lived." 

"  I  don't  know  that— I  don't  know  that  Of  all  ty- 
ranny,  a  vulgar  tyranny  is  to  me  the  most  odious." 

"  You  used  to  admire  the  English  system,  but  I  think 
observation  has  lessened  your  particular  admiration  in 
that  quarter;"  said  Mr.  Effingham,  smiling  in  a  way 
that  his  cousin  perfectly  understood. 


252  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

''Harkee,  Ned;  we  all  take  up  false  notions  in 
vouth,  and  this  was  one  of  mine ;  but,  of  the  two,  I 
should  prefer  the  cold,  dogged  domination  of  English 
law,  with  its  fruits,  the  heartlessness  of  a  sophistication 
without  parallel,  to  being  trampled  on  by  every  arrant 
blackguard  that  may  happen  to  traverse  this  valley,  in 
his  wanderings  after  dollars.  There  is  one  thing  you 
yourself  must  admit ;  the  public  is  a  little  too  apt  to 
neglect  the  duties  it  ought  to  discharge,  and  to  assume 
duties  it  has  no  right  to  fulfil." 

This  remark  ended  the  discourse. 


CHAPTEK  XYI. 


Her  breast  was  a  brave  palace,  a  broad  street. 
Where  all  heroic,  ample  thoughts  did  meet, 
Where  nature  such  a  tenement  had  ta'en, 
That  other  souls,  to  hers,  dwelt  in  a  lane. 

JOHN  NORTON. 


THE  village  of  Templeton,  it  has  been  already  inti 
mated,  was  a  miniature  town.  Although  it  contained 
within  the  circle  of  its  houses,  half-a-dozen  residences 
with  grounds,  and  which  were  dignified  with  names, 
as  has  been  also  said,  it  did  not  cover  a  surface  of 
more  than  a  mile  square ;  that  disposition  to  concen 
tration,  which  is  as  peculiar  to  an  American  town,  as 
the  disposition  to  diffusion  is  peculiar  to  the  country 
population,  and  which  seems  almost  to  prescribe  that 
a  private  dwelling  shall  have  but  three  windows  in 
front,  and  a  facade  of  twenty-five  feet,  having  presided 
at  the  birth  of  this  spot,  as  well  as  at  the  birth  of  so 
many  of  its  predecessors  and  contemporaries.  In  one 
of  its  more  retired  streets  (for  Templeton  had  its  pub 
licity  and  retirement,  the  latter  after  a  very  village- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  253 

fashion,  however,)  dwelt  a  widow-bewitched  of  small 
worldly  means,  five  children,  and  of  great  capacity  foi 
circulating  intelligence.  Mrs.  Abbott,  for  so  was  this 
demi-relict  called,  was  just  on  the  verge  of  what  is 
termed  the  "good  society"  of  the  village,  the  most  un 
easy  of  all  positions  for  an  ambitious  and  ci-devant 
pretty  woman  to  be  placed  in.  She  had  not  yet  aban 
doned  the  hope  of  obtaining  a  divorce  and  its  suites ; 
was  singularly,  nay,  rabidly  devout,  if  we  may  coin 
the  adverb ;  in  her  own  eyes  she  was  perfection,  in 
those  of  her  neighbours  slightly  objectionable  ;  and  she 
was  altogether  a  droll,  and  by  nc  means  an  unusual 
compound  of  piety,  censoriousness,  charity,  proscrip 
tion,  gossip,  kindness,  meddling,  ill-nature,  and  decency. 

The  establishment  of  Mrs.  Abbott,  like  her  house, 
was  necessarily  very  small,  and  she  kept  no  servant 
but  a  girl  she  called  her  help,  a  very  suitable  appella 
tion,  by  the  way,  as  they  did  most  of  the  work  of  the 
menage  in  common.  This  girl,  in  addition  to  cooking 
and  washing,  was  the  confidant  of  all  her  employer's 
wandering  notions  of  mankind  in  general,  and  of  her 
neighbours  in  particular ;  as  often  helping  her  mistress 
in  circulating  her  comments  on  the  latter,  as  in  any 
thing  else. 

Mrs.  Abbott  knew  nothing  of  the  Effinghams,  except 
by  a  hearsay  that  got  its  intelligence  from  ner  ofvn 
school,  being  herself  a  late  arrival  in  the  place.  Sne 
had  selected  Templeton  as  a  residence  on  account  of 
its  cheapness,  and,  having  neglected  to  comply  with 
the  forms  of  the  world,  by  hesitating  about  making  the 
customary  visit  to  the  Wigwam,  she  began  to  resent,  in 
her  spirit  at  least,  Eve's  delicate  forbearance  from  ob 
truding  herself,  where,  agreeably  to  ail  usage,  she  had 
a  perfect  right  to  suppose  she  was  riot  desired.  It  was 
in  this  spirit,  then,  that  she  sat,  conversing  with  Jenny, 
as  the  maid  of  all  work  was  called,  the  morning  after 
the  conversation  related  in  the  last  chapter,  in  her 
snug  little  parlour,  sometimes  plying  her  needle,  and 
22 


HOME    AS    FOUND. 


oftener  thrusting  her  head  out  of  a  window  which  com 
manded  a  view  of  the  principal  street  of  the  place,  in 
order  to  see  what  her  neighbours  might  be  about. 

"  This  is  a  most  extraordinary  course  Mr.  Effing- 
ham  has  taken  concerning  the  Point,"  said  Mrs.  Abbott, 
"  and  I  do  hope  the  people  will  bring  him  to  his  senses. 
Why,  Jenny,  the  public  has  used  that  place  ever  since 
I  can  remember,  and  I  have  now  lived  in  Templeton 
quite  fifteen  months. — What  can  induce  Mr.  Howel  to 
go  so  often  to  that  barber's  shop,  which  stands  directly 
opposite  the  parlour  windows  of  Mrs.  Bennett — one 
would  think  the  man  was  all  beard." 

"  I  suppose  Mr.  Howel  gets  shaved  sometimes,"  said 
the  logical  Jenny. 

"  Not  he ;  or  if  he  does,  no  decent  man  would  think 
of  posting  himself  before  a  lady's  window  to  do  such  a 
thing.— Orlando  Furioso,"  calling  to  her  eldest  son,  a 
boy  of  eleven,  "  run  over  to  Mr.  Jones's  store,  and 
listen  to  what  the  people  are  talking  about,  and  bring 
me  back  the  news,  as  soon  as  any  thing  worth  hearing 
drops  from  any  body;  and  stop  as  you  come  back,  my 
son,  and  borrow  neighbour  Brown's  gridiron.  Jenny, 
it  is  most  time  to  think  of  putting  over  the  potatoes." 

"  Ma' — "  cried  Orlando  Furioso,  from  the  front  door, 
Mrs.  Abbott  being  very  rigid  in  requiring  that  all  her 
children  should  call  her  « ma','  being  so  much  behind 
the  age  as  actually  not  to  know  that '  mother '  had  got 
to  be  much  the  genteeler  term  of  the  two ; "  Ma'," roared 
Orlando  Furioso,  "  suppose  there  is  no  news  at  Mr. 
Jones's  store  ?" 

"  Then  go  to  the  nearest  tavern  ;  something  must  be 
stirring  tins  fine  morning,  and  I'm  dying  to  know  what 
it  can  possibly  be.  Mind  you  bring  something  besides 
the  gridiron  back  with  you.  Hurry,  or  never  come 
home  again  as  long  as  you  live  !  As  I  was  saying, 
Jenny,  the  right  of  the  'public,  which  is  our  right,  for 
we  are  a  part  of  the  public,  to  this  Point,  is  as  clear  as 
day,  and  I  am  only  astonished  at  the  impudence  of  Mr 


HOME  AS  rouwi>  255 

Effingham  in  pretending  to  deny  it.  I  dare  say  his 
French  daughter  has  put  him  up  to  it.  They  say  she 
is  monstrous  arrogant !" 

"Is  Eve  Effingham, French,"  said  Jenny,  studiously 
avoiding  any  of  the  usual  terms  of  civility  and  pro 
priety,  by  way  of  showing  her  breeding — "  well,  I  had 
always  thought  her  nothing  but  Templeton  born !" 

"  What  signifies  where  a  person  was  born  ?  where 
they  live,  is  the  essential  thing;  and  Eve  Effingham  has 
lived  so  long  in  France,  that  she  speaks  nothing  but 
broken  English  ;  and  Miss  Debby  told  me  last  week, 
that  in  drawing  up  a  subscription  paper  for  a  new 
cushion  to  the  reading-desk  of  her  people,  she  actually 
spelt  '  charity '  « carrotty." ' 

"  Is  that  French,  Miss  Abbott?" 

"  I  rather  think  it  is,  Jenny ;  the  French  are  very 
niggardly,  and  give  their  poor  carrots  to  live  on,  and 
so  they  have  adopted  the  word,  I  suppose.  You,  By- 
ansy-Alzumy-Ann,  (Bianca-Alzuma-Ann !") 

"  Marm !" 

"  Byansy-Alzumy-Ann !  who  taught  you  to  call  me 
marm  !  Is  this  the  way  you  have  learned  your  cate 
chism  ?  Say,  ma',  this  instant." 

"  Ma'." 

"  Take  your  bonnet,  my  child,  and  run  down  to  Mrs. 
Wheaton's,  and  ask  her  if  any  thing  new  has  turned 
up  about  the  Point,  this  morning;  and,  do  you  hear, 
Byansy-Alzumy-Ann  Abbott  —  how  the  child  starts 
away,  as  if  she  were  sent  on  a  matter  of  life  and 
death  !" 

"  Why,  ma',  I  want  to  hear  the  news,  too." 

"  Very  likely,  my  dear,  but,  by  stopping  to  get  your 
errand,  you  may  learn  more  than  by  being  in  such  a 
hurry.  Stop  in  at  Mrs.  Green's,  and  ask  how  the  peo 
ple  liked  the  lecture  of  the  strange  parson,  last  even 
ing — and  ask  her  if  she  can  lend  me  a  watering-pot. 
Now,  run,  and  be  back  as  soon  as  possible.  Never 
loiter  when  you  carry  news,  child." 


256  HOME    AS    FOUIND. 

"  JN'o  one  has  a  right  to  stop  the  man,  I  believe,  Miss 
Abbott,"  put  in  Jenny,  very  appositely. 

"  That,  indeed,  have  they  not,  or  else  we  could  not 
calculate  the  consequences.  You  may  remember, 
Jenny,  the  pious,  even,  had  to  give  up  that  point,  pub 
lic  convenience  being  too  strong  for  them.  Roger- 
Demetrius-Benjamin!" — calling  to  a  second  boy,  two 
years  younger  than  his  brother — "  your  eyes  are  better 
than  mine — who  are  all  those  people  collected  together 
in  the  street.  Is  not  Mr.  Howel  among  them  ?' 

"  I  do  not  know,  ma'!"  answered  Roger-Demetrius- 
Benjamin,  gaping. 

"  Then  run,  this  minute,  and  see,  and  don't  stop  to 
^ok  for  your  hat.  As  you  come  back,  step  into  the 
tailor's  shop  and  ask  if  your  new  jacket  is  most  done, 
and  what  the  news  is  ?  I  rather  think,  Jenny,  we  shall 
find  out  something  worth  hearing,  in  the  course  of  the 
day.  By  the  way,  they  do  say  that  Grace  Van  Cort- 
landt,  Eve  Effingham's  cousin,  is  under  concern." 

"  Well,  she  is  the  last  person  I  should  think  would 
be  troubled  about  any  thing,  for  every  body  says  she 
is  so  desperate  rich  she  might  eat  off  of  silver,  if  she 
liked ;  and  she  is  sure  of  being  married,  some  time  or 
other." 

"  That  ought  to  lighten  her  concern,  you  think.  Oh  ! 
it  does  my  heart  good  when  I  see  any  of  those  flaunty 
^eople  right  well  exercised  !  Nothing  would  make  me 
happier  than  to  see  Eve  Effingham  groaning  fairly  in 
the  spirit !  That  would  teach  her  to  take  away  the  peo 
ple's  Points." 

"  But,  Miss  Abbott,  then  she  would  become  almost 
as  good  a  woman  as  you  are  yourself," 

"  I  am  a  miserable,  graceless,  awfully  wicked  sin 
ner  !  Twenty  times  a  day  do  I  doubt  whether  I  am 
actually  converted  or  not.  Sin  has  got  such  a  hold 
of  my  very  heart-strings,  that  I  sometimes  think  they 
will  crack  before  it  lets  go.  Rinaldo-Rinaldini- 
Timothy,  my  child,  do  you  toddle  across  the  way,  and 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  257 

give  my  compliments  to  Mrs.  Hulbert,  and  inquirf- 
if  it  be  true  that  young  Dickson,  the  lawyer,  is 
really  engaged  to  Aspasia  Tubbs  or  not?  and  borrow 
a  skimmer,  or  a  tin  pot,  or  any  thing  you  can  carry, 
for  we  may  want  something  of  the  sort  in  the  course 
of  the  day  I  do  believe,  Jenny,  that  a  worse  crea 
ture  than  myself  is  hardly  to  be  found  in  Templeton." 

"Why,  Miss  Abbott,"  returned  Jenny,  who  had 
heard  too  much  of  this  self-abasement  to  be  much 
alarmed  at  it,  "  this  is  giving  almost  as  bad  an  account 
of  yourself,  as  I  heard  somebody,  that  I  won't  name, 
give  of  you  last  week." 

*•  And  who  is  your  somebody,  I  should  like  to 
know?  I  dare  say,  one  no  better  than  a  formalist, 
A^ho  thinks  that  reading  prayers  out  of  a  book,  kneel 
ing,  bowing,  and  changing  gowns,  is  religion !  Thank 
Heaven,  I  'm  pretty  indifferent  to  the  opinions  of  such 
people.  Harkee,  Jenny ;  if  I  thought  I  was  no  better 
than  some  persons  I  could  name,  I  'd  give  the  point 
of  salvation  up,  in  despair !" 

"  Miss  Abbott,"  roared  a  rugged,  dirty-faced,  bare- 
footed  boy,  who  entered  without  knocking,  and  stood 
in  the  middle  of  the  room,  with  his  hat  on,  with  a  sud 
denness  that  denoted  great  readiness  in  entering  other 
people's  possessions ;  "  Miss  Abbott,  ma'  wants  to 
know  if  you  are  likely  to  go  from  home  this  week  ?" 

"  Why,  what  in  nature  can  she  want  to  know  that 
for,  Ordeal  Bumgrum  ?"  Mrs.  Abbott  pronounced 
this  singular  name,  however,  "  Ordeel." 

"  Oh  !  she  warnts  to  know." 

"  So  do  I  warnt  to  know  ;  and  know  I  will.  Run 
home  this  instant,  and  ask  your  mother  why  she  has 
sent  you  here  with  this  message.  Jenny,  I  am  much 
exercised  to  find  out  the  reason  Mrs.  Bumgrum  should 
have  sent  Ordeal  over  with  such  a  question." 

"  I  did  hear  that  Miss  Bumgrum  intended  to  make 
a  iuurney  herself,  and  she  may  want  your  company." 

"Here  comes  Ordeal  back,  and  we  shall  soon  bo 
22* 


'258  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

out  of  the  clouds.  What  a  boy  that  is  for  errands ! 
He  is  worth  all  my  sons  put  together.  You  never  see 
him  losing  time  by  going  round  by  the  streets,  but 
away  he  goes  over  the  garden  fences  like  a  cat,  or  he 
will  whip  through  a  house,  if  standing  in  his  way,  as 
if  he  were  its  owner,  should  the  door  happen  to  be 
open.  Well,  Ordeal  ?' 

But  Ordeal  was  out  of  breath,  and  although  Jenny 
shook  him,  as  if  to  shake  the  news  out  of  him,  and 
Mrs.  Abbott  actually  shook  her  fist,  in  her  impatience 
to  be  enlightened,  nothing  could  induce  the  child  to 
speak,  until  he  had  recovered  his  wind.  • 

"  I  believe  he  does  it  on  purpose,"  said  the  provoked 
maid. 

"  It 's  just  like  him  !"  cried  the  mistress ;  "  the  verj 
best  news-carrier  in  the  village  is  actually  spoilt 
because  he  is  thick-winded." 

"  I  wish  folks  wouldn't  make  their  fences  so  high/ 
Ordeal  exclaimed,  the  instant  he  found  breath.  "  J 
can't  see  of  what  use  it  is  to  make  a  fence  people 
can't  climb !" 

"What  does  your  mother  say?"  cried  Jenny 
repeating  her  shake,  con  amore. 

"Ma,  wants  to  know,  Miss  Abbott,  if  ^ou  don't 
intend  to  use  it  yourself,  if  you  will  lend  her  your  name 
for  a  few  days,  to  go  to  Utica  with  ?  She  says  folks 
don't  treat  her  half  as  well  when  she  is  called  Bum- 
grum,  as  when  she  has  another  name,  and  she  thinks 
she  'd  like  to  try  yours,  this  time." 

"  Is  that  all ! — You  need  n't  have  been  so  hurried 
about  such  a  trifle,  Ordeal.  Give  my  compliments  to 
your  mother,  and  tell  her  she  is  quite  welcome  to  my 
name,  and  I  hope  it  will  be  serviceable  to  her." 

"  She  says  she  is  willing  to  pay  for  the  use  of  it,  if 
you  will  tell  her  what  the  damage  will  be." 

"  Oh !  it's  not  worth  while  to  speak  of  such  a  trifle  ' 
I  dare  say  she  will  bring  it  back  quite  as  good  as  when 
she  took  it  away.  I  am  no  such  unneighbourly  or  aris- 


HOME   AS   FOUND.  259 

focratical  person  as  to  wish  to  keep  my  name  all  to 
myself.  Tell  your  mother  she  is  welcome  to  mine, 
and  to  keep  it  as  long  as  she  likes,  and  not  to  say  any 
thing  about  pay  ;  I  may  want  to  borrow  hers,  or  some 
thing  else,  one  of  these  days,  though,  to  say  the  truth, 
my  neighbours  are  apt  to  complain  of  me  as  unfriendly 
and  proud  for  not  borrowing  as  much  as  a  good  neigh 
bour  ought." 

Ordeal  departed,  leaving  Mrs.  Abbot  in  some  such 
condition  as  that  of  the  man  who  had  no  shadow.  A 
rap  at  the  door  interrupted  the  further  discussion  of  the 
old  subject,  and  Mr.  Steadfast  Dodge  appeared  in  an 
swer  to  the  permission  to  enter.  Mr.  Dodge  and  Mrs. 
Abbott  were  congenial  spirits,  in  the  way  of  news,  he 
living  by  it,  and  she  living  on  it. 

"  You  are  very  welcome,  Mr.  Dodge,"  the  mistress 
of  the  house  commenced ;  "  I  hear  you  passed  the  day, 
yesterday,  up  at  the  Effinghamses." 

"  Why,  yes,  Mrs.  Abbott,  the  Effinghams  insisted  on 
it,  and  I  could  not  well  get  over  the  sacrifice,  after 
having  been  their  shipmate  so  long.  Besides  it  is  a 
little  relief  to  talk  French,  when  one  has  been  so  long 
in  the  daily  practice  of  it." 

"  I  hear  there  is  company  at  the  house  1" 

"  Two  of  our  fellow-travellers,  merely.  An  English 
baronet,  and  a  young  man  of  whom  less  is  known  than 
one  could  wish.  He  is  a  mysterious  person,  and  I  hate 
mystery,  Mrs.  Abbott." 

"  In  that,  then,  Mr.  Dodge,  you  and  I  are  alike.  I 
think  every  thing  should  be  known.  Indeed,  that  is  not 
a  free  country  in  which  there  are  any  secrets.  I  keep 
nothing  from  my  neighbours,  and,  to  own  the  truth,  I 
do  not  like  my  neighbours  to  keep  any  thing  from  me." 

"  Then  you'll  hardly  like  the  Effinghams,  for  I  never 
yet  met  with  a  more  close-mouthed  family.  Although 
I  was  so  long  in  the  ship  with  Miss  Eve,  I  never  heard 
her  once  speak  of  her  want  of  appetite,  of  sea-sick 
ness,  or  of  any  thing  relating  to  her  ailings  even :  nor 


260  HOME,    AS    FOUND 

•;an  you  imagine  how  close  she  is  on  the  subject  of  the 
beaux ;  I  do  not  think  I  ever  heard  her  use  the  word, 
or  so  much  as  allude  to  any  walk  or  ride  she  ever  took 
with  a  single  man.  I  set  her  down,  Mrs.  Abbott,  as 
unqualifiedly  artful !" 

"  That  you  may  with  certainty,  sir,  for  there  is  no 
more  sure  sign  that  a  young  woman  is  all  the  while 
thinking  of  the  beaux,  than  her  never  mentioning 
them." 

"  That  I  believe  to  be  human  nature ;  no  ingenuous 
person  ever  thinks  much  of  the  particular  subject  of 
conversation.  What  is  your  opinion,  Mrs.  Abbott,  of 
the  contemplated  match  at  the  Wigwam  V 

"Match!"  exclaimed  Mrs. Abbott. — "What,  alrea 
dy  !  It  is  tl.e  most  indecent  thing  I  ever  heard  of! 
Why,  Mr.  Dodge,  the  family  has  not  been  home  a  fort 
night,  and  to  think  so  soon  of  getting  married !  It  is 
quite  as  bad  as  a  widower's  marrying  within  the 
month." 

Mrs.  Abbott  made  a  distinction,  habitually,  between 
the  cases  of  widowers  and  widows,  as  the  first,  she 
maintained,  might  get  married  whenever  they  pleased, 
and  the  latter  only  when  they  got  offers ;  arid  she  felt 
just  that  sort  of  horror  of  a  man's  thinking  of  marry 
ing  too  soon  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  as  might  be 
expected  in  one  who  actually  thought  of  a  second  hus 
band  before  the  first  was  dead. 

"  Why,  yes,"  returned  Steadfast,  "  it  is  a  little  pre 
mature,  perhaps,  though  they  have  been  long  acquainted. 
Still,  as  you  say,  it  would  be  more  decent  to  wait  and 
see  what  may  turn  up  in  a  country,  that,  to  them,  may 
be  said  to  be  a  foreign  land." 

"  But,  who  are  the  parties,  Mr.  Dodge." 

"  Miss  Eve  Efihigham,  and  Mr.  John  Effingharr  ' 

"  Mr.  John  Effingham !"  exclaimed  the  lady,  who 
had  lent  her  name  to  a  neighbour,  aghast,  for  this  was 
knocking  one  of  her  own  day-dreams  in  the  head, 
"  well  this  is  too  much !  But  he  phall  not  marry  her, 


HOME    AS    FOUNJ  .  261 

sir ;  the  law  will  prevent  it,  and  we  live  in  a  country 
of  laws.  A  man  cannot  marry  his  own  niece." 

"  It  is  excessively  improper,  and  ought  to  be  put  a 
stop  to.  And  yet  these  Eiiinghams  do  very  much  as 
they  please." 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  that ;  they  are  extremely 
disagreeable,"  said  Mrs.  Abbott,  with  a  look  of  eager 
inquiry,  as  if  afraid  the  answer  might  be  in  the  nega 
tive. 

"  As  much  so  as  possible  ;  they  have  hardly  a  way 
that  you  would  like,  my  dear  ma'am  ;  and  are  as  close- 
mouthed  as  if  they  were  afraid  of  committing  them 
selves." 

"  Desperate  bad  newrs-carriers,  I  am  told,  Mr.  Dodge. 
There  is  Dorindy  (Dorinda)  Mudge,  who  was  employed 
there  by  Eve  and  Grace  one  day;  she  tells  me  she 
tried  all  she  could  to  get  them  to  talk,  by  speaking  of 
the  most  common  things ;  things  that  one  of  my  chil 
dren  knew  all  about ;  such  as  the  affairs  of  the  neign- 
bourhood,  and  how  people  are  getting  on ;  and,  though 
iney  would  listen  a  little,  and  that  is  something,  I  ad 
mit,  not  a  syllable  could  she  get  in  the  way  of  answer, 
or  remark.  Shu  tells  me  that,  several  times,  she  had 
a  mind  to  quit,  for  it  is  monstrous  unpleasant  to  asso 
ciate  with  your  tongue-tied  folks." 

"  I  dare  say  Miss  Effingham  could  throw  out  a  hint 
now  and  then,  concerning  the  voyage  and  her  late  fel 
low-travellers,"  said  Steadfast,  casting  an  uneasy 
glance  at  his  companion. 

"  Not  she.  Dorindy  maintains  that  it  is  impossible 
to  get  a  sentiment  out  of  her  concerning  a  single  fel 
low-creature.  When  she  talked  of  the  late  unpleasant 
affair  of  poor  neighbour  Bronson's  family — a  melan 
choly  transaction  that,  Mr.  Dodge,  and  I  shouldn't  won 
der  if  it  went  to  nigh  break  Mrs.  Bronson's  heart — but 
vvhen  Dorindy  mentioned  this,  which  is  bad  enough  to 
stir  the  sensibility  of  a  frog,  neither  of  my  young  ladies 
replied,  or  put  a  single  question.  In  this  respect  Grace 


262  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

is  as  bad  as  Eve,  and  Eve  is  as  bad  as  Grace,  they 
say.  Instead  of  so  much  as  seeming  to  wish  to  know 
any  more,  v^hat  does  my  Miss  Eve  do,  but  turn  to  some 
daubs  of  paintings,  and  point  out  to  her  cousin  what 
she  was  pleased  to  term  peculiarities  in  Swiss  usages. 
Then  the  two  hussies  would  talk  of  nature,  "  our  beau 
tiful  nature"  Dorindy  says  Eve  had  the  impudence  to 
call  it,  and,  as  if  human  nature  and  its  failings  and 
backsliding  wore  not  a  fitter  subject  for  a  young  wo- 
man's  discourse,  than  a  silly  conversation  about  lakes, 
and  rocks,  and  trees,  and  as  if  she  owned  the  nature 
about  Templeton.  It  is  my  opinion,  Mr.  Dodge,  that 
downright  ignorance  is  at  the  bottom  of  it  all,  for  Do 
rindy  says  that  they  actually  know  no  more  of  the 
intricacies  of  the  neighbourhood  than  if  they  lived  in 
Japan." 

"  All  pride,  Mrs.  Abbott ;  rank  pride.  They  feel 
themselves  too  great  to  enter  into  the  minutio?  of  com 
mon  folks'  concerns.  I  often  tried  Miss  Effmgham 
coming  from  England;  and  things  touching  private 
interests,  that  I  know  she  did  and  must  understand,  she 
always  disdainfully  refused  to  enter  into.  Oh !  she  is 
a  real  Tartar,  in  her  way ;  and  what  she  does  not  wish 
to  do,  you  never  can  make  her  do !" 

"  Have  you  heard  that  Grace  is  under  concern  1" 

"Not  a  breath  of  it;  under  whose  preaching  was 
she  sitting,  Mrs.  Abbott?" 

"  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you ;  not  under  the 
church  parson's,  I'll  engage ;  no  one  ever  heard  of  a 
real,  active,  regenerating,  soul-reviving,  spirit-groaning 
and  fruit-yielding  conversion  under  his  ministry." 

"  No,  there  is  very  little  unction  in  that  persuasion 
generally.  How  cold  and  apathetic  they  are,  in  these 
soul-stirring  times !  Not  a  sinner  has  been  writhing  on 
their  floor,  I  '11  engage,  nor  a  wretch  transferred  into  a 
saint,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  by  that  parson.  Well, 
we  have  every  reason  to  be  grateful,  Mrs.  Abbott." 

"That  we  have,  for  most  glorious  liave  been  our 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  263 

privileges !  To  be  sure  that  is  a  sinful  pride  that  can 
puff  up  a  wretched,  sinful  being  like  Eve  Effingham 
to  such  a  pass  of  conceit,  as  to  induce  her  to  think  she 
is  raised  above  thinking  of,  and  taking  an  interest  in 
the  affairs  of  her  neighbours.  Now,  for  my  part,  con 
version  has  so  far  opened  my  heart,  that  I  do  actually 
feel  as  if  I  wanted  to  know  all  about  the  meanest  crea 
ture  in  Templeton." 

"  That's  the  true  spirit,  Mrs.  Abbott ;  stick  to  that,  and 
your  redemption  is  secure.  I  only  edit  a  newspaper, 
by  way  of  showing  an  interest  in  mankind." 

"  I  hope,  Mr.  Dodge,  the  press  does  not  mean  to  let 
this  matter  of  the  Point  sleep ;  the  press  is  the  true 
guardian  of  the  public  rights,  and  I  can  tell  you  the 
whole  community  looks  to  it  for  support,  in  this 
crisis." 

"  We  shall  not  fail  to  do  our  duty,"  said  Mr.  Dodge, 
looking  over  his  shoulder,  and  speaking  lower."  "  What ! 
shall  one  insignificant  individual,  who  has  not  a  single 
right  above  that  of  the  meanest  citizen  in  the  county, 
oppress  this  great  and  powerful  community !  What  if 
Mr.  Effingham  does  own  this  point  of  land " 

"  But  he  does  not  own  it,"  interrupted  Mrs.  Abbott. 
"Ever  since  I  have  known  Templeton,  the  public  has 
owned  it.  The  public,  moreover,  says  it  owns  it,  and 
what  the  public  says,  in  this  happy  country,  is  law." 

"  But,  allowing  that  the  public  does  not  own " 

"  It  does  own  it,  Mr.  Dodge,"  the  nameless  repeated, 
positively. 

"Well,  ma'am,  own  or  no  own,  this  is  not  a  country 
in  which  the  press  ought  to  be  silent,  when  a  solitary 
individual  undertakes  to  trample  on  the  public.  Leave 
that  matter  to  us,  Mrs.  Abbott ;  it  is  in  good  hands,  and 
shall  be  well  taken  care  of." 

"  I  'm  piously  glad  of  it !" 

"  I  mention  this  to  you,  as  to  a  friend,"  continued 
Mr.  Dodge,  cautiously  drawing  from  his  pocket  a  man 
uscript,  which  he  prepared  to  read  to  his  companion 
who  sat  with  a  devouring  curiosity,  ready  to  listen. 


204  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

The  manuscript  of  Mr.  Dodge  contained  a  jjrofessea 
account  of  the  affair  of  the  Point.  It  was  written  ob 
scurely,  and  was  not  without  its  contradictions,  but  the 
imagination  of  Mrs.  Abbott  supplied  all  the  vacuums, 
and  reconciled  all  the  contradictions.  The  article  was 
so  liberal  of  its  professions  of  contempt  for  Mr.  Effing- 
ham,  that  every  rational  man  was  compelled  to  won 
der,  why  a  quality,  that  is  usually  so  passive,  should, 
in  this  particular  instance,  be  aroused  to  so  sudden  and 
violent  activity.  In  the  way  of  facts,  not  one  was 
faithfully  stated  ;  and  there  were  several  deliberate,  un 
mitigated  falsehoods,  which  went  essentially  to  colour 
the  whole  account. 

"  I  think  this  will  answer  the  purpose,"  said  Stead 
fast,  "  and  we  have  taken  means  to  see  that  it  shall  be 
well  circulated." 

"  This  will  do  them  good,"  cried  Mrs.  Abbott ; 
almost  breathless  with  delight.  "  I  hope  folks  will 
belie -e  it." 

""No  fear  of  that.  If  it  were  a  party  thing,  now, 
one  half  would  believe  it,  as  a  matter  of  course,  and 
the  other  half  would  not  believe  it,  as  a  matter  of 
course;  but,  in  a  private  matter,  lord  bless  you,  ma'arn, 
people  are  always  ready  to  believe  any  thing  that  will 
give  them  something  to  talk  about." 

Here  the  tete  &  tete  was  interrupted  by  the  return  oi 
Mrs.  Abbott's  different  messengers,  all  of  whom,  unlike 
the  dove  sent  forth  from  the  ark,  brought  back  some 
thing  in  the  way  of  hopes.  The  Point  was  a  general 
theme,  and,  though  the  several  accounts  flatly  contra 
dicted  each  other,  Mrs.  Abbott,  in  the  general  benevo 
lence  of  her  pious  heart,  found  the  means  to  extract 
corroboration  of  her  wishes  from  each. 

Mr.  Dodge  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  the 
account  appeared.  The  press  throughout  the  country 
seized  with  avidity  on  any  thing  that  helped  to  fill  its 
columns.  No  one  appeared  disposed  to  inquire  into 
the  truth  of  the  account,  or  after  the  character  of  the 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  265 

original  authority.  It  was  in  print,  and  that  struck  the 
great  majority  of  the  editors  and  their  readers,  as  a 
sufficient  sanction.  Few,  indeed,  were  they,  who  lived 
so  much  under  a  proper  self-control,  as  to  hesitate ;  and 
this  rank  injustice  was  done  a  private  citizen,  as  much 
without  moral  restraint,  as  without  remorse,  by  those, 
who,  to  take  their  own  accounts  of  the  matter,  were 
the  regular  and  habitual  champions  of  human  rights ! 

John  Effingham  pointed  out  this  extraordinary  scene 
of  reckless  wrong,  to  his  wondering  cousin,  with  the 
cool  sarcasm,  with  which  he  was  apt  to  assail  the 
weaknesses  and  crimes  of  the  country.  His  firmness, 
united  to  that  of  his  cousin,  however,  put  a  stop  to  the 
publication  of  the  resolutions  of  Aristabulus's  meeting, 
and  when  a  sufficient  time  had  elapsed  to  prove  that 
these  prurient  denouncers  of  their  fellow-citizens  had 
taken  wit  in  their  anger,  he  procured  them,  and  had 
them  published  himself,  as  the  most  effectual  means  of 
exposing  the  real  character  of  the  senseless  mob,  that 
had  thus  disgraced  liberty,  by  assuming  its  professions 
and  its  usages. 

To  an  observer  of  men,  the  end  of  this  affair  pre 
sented  several  strong  points  for  comment.  As  soon  as 
the  truth  became  generally  known,  in  reference  to  the 
real  ownership,  and  the  public  came  to  ascertain  that 
instead  of  hitherto  possessing  a  right,  it  had,  in  fact, 
been  merely  enjoying  a  favour,  those  who  had  commit 
ted  themselves  by  their  arrogant  assumptions  of  facts, 
and  their  indecent  outrages,  fell  back  on  their  self-love, 
and  began  to  find  excuses  for  their  conduct  in  that  of 
the  other  party.  Mr.  Effingham  was  loudly  condemned 
for  not  having  done  the  very  thing,  he,  in  truth,  had 
done,  viz :  telling  the  public  it  did  not  own  his  pro 
perty  ;  and  when  this  was  shown  to  be  an  absurdity, 
the  complaint  followed  that  what  he  had  done,  had 
been  done  in  precisely  such  a  mode,  although  it  wag 
the  mode  constantly  used  by  every  one  else.  From 
these  vague  and  indefinite  accusations,  those  most  im- 
23 


266  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

plicated  in  the  wrong,  began  to  deny  all  their  own 
original  assertions,  by  insisting  that  they  had  known 
all  along,  that  Mr.  Effingham  owned  the  property,  but 
that  they  did  not  choose  he,  or  any  other  man,  should 
presume  to  tell  them  what  they  knew  already.  IL 
short,  the  end  of  this  affair  exhibited  human  nature  IP 
its  usual  aspects  of  prevarication,  untruth,  contradic 
tion,  and  inconsistency,  notwithstanding  the  high  pro 
fession  of  liberty  made  by  those  implicated ;  and  they 
who  had  been  the  most  guilty  of  wrong,  were  loudest 
in  their  complaints,  as  if  they  alone  had  suffered. 

"  This  is  not  exhibiting  the  country  to  us,  certainly, 
after  so  long  an  absence,  in  its  best  appearance,"  said 
Mr.  Effingham,  "  I  must  admit,  John ;  but  error  be 
longs  to  all  regions,  and  to  all  classes  of  institutions." 

"  Ay,  Ned,  make  the  best  of  it,  as  usual ;  but,  if  you 
do  not  come  round  to  my  way  of  thinking,  before  you 
are  a  twelvemonth  older,  I  shall  renounce  prophesying. 
I  wish  we  could  get  at  the  bottom  of  Miss  Effingham' 
thoughts,  on  this  occasion." 

"  Miss  Effingham  has  been  grieved,  disappointed, 
nay,  shocked,"  said  Eve,  "  but,  still  she  will  not  de 
spair  of  the  republic.  None  of  our  respectable  neigh 
bours,  in  the  first  place,  have  shared  in  this  transac 
tion,  and  that  is  something ;  though  I  confess  I  feel 
some  surprise  that  any  considerable  portion  of  a  com 
munity,  that  respects  itself,  should  quietly  allow  an  ig 
norant  fragment  of  its  own  numbers,  to  misrepresent 
it  so  grossly,  in  an  affair  that  so  nearly  touches  its  own 
character  for  common  sense  and  justice." 

"  You  have  yet  to  learn,  Miss  Effingham,  that  men 
can  get  to  be  so  saturated  with  liberty,  that  they  be 
come  insensible  to  the  nicer  feelings.  The  grossest 
enormities  are  constantly  committed  in  this  good  re 
public  of  ours,  under  the  pretence  of  being  done  by 
the  public,  and  for  the  public.  The  public  have  got  to 
bow  to  that  bugbear,  quite  as  submissively  as  Gesler 
could  have  wished  the  Swiss  to  bow  to  his  own  cap, 


HOME    AS    TOUITD.  267 

as  to  the  cap  of  Rodolph's  substitute.  Men  will  have 
idols,  and  the  Americans  have  merely  set  up  them- 
selves." 

"  And  yet,  cousin  Jack,  you  would  be  wretched 
were  you  doomed  to  live  under  a  system  less  free.  I 
fear  you  have  the  affectation  of  sometimes  saying  that 
which  you  do  not  exactly  feel." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"Come,  these  are  no  times  to  think  of  dreams — 
We'll  talk  of  dreams  hereafter." 

SHAKSPEARE. 

THE  day  succeeding  that  in  which  the  conversation 
just  mentioned  occurred,  was  one  of  great  expecta 
tion  and  delight  in  the  Wigwam.  Mrs.  Hawker  and 
the  Bloomfields  were  expected,  and  the  morning  passed 
away  rapidly,  under  the  gay  buoyancy  of  the  feelings 
that  usually  accompany  such  anticipations  in  a 
country-house.  The  travellers  were  to  leave  town  the 
previous  evening,  and,  though  the  distance  was  noar 
two  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  they  were  engaged  to 
arrive  by  the  usual  dinner  hour.  In  speed,  the  Ameri 
cans,  so  long  as  they  follow  the  great  routes,  are 
unsurpassed;  and  even  Sir  George  Templemore, 
coming,  as  he  did,  from  a  country  of  MacAdamized 
roads  and  excellent  posting,  expressed  his  surprise, 
when  given  to  understand  that  a  journey  of  this 
length,  near  a  hundred  miles  of  which  were  by  land, 
moreover,  was  to  be  performed  in  twenty-four  hours, 
the  stops  included. 

"One  particularly  likes  this  rapid  travelling,"  he 
remarked,  "  when  it  is  to  bring  us  such  friends  as  Mrs 
Hawker." 

•  And  Mrs.  Bloomfield,"  added  Eve,  quickly.    « I 


268  HOME    AS    FOUIVD. 

rest  the  credit  of  the  American  females  on  Mrs.  Bloom- 
field." 

"  More  so,  than  on  Mrs.  Hawker,  Miss  Effingham  *" 

"  Not  in  all  that  is  amiable,  respectable,  feminine, 
and  lady-like ;  but  certainly  more  so,  in  the  way  of 
mind.  I  know,  Sir  George  Templemore,  as  a  Euro 
pean,  what  your  opinion  is  of  our  sex  in  this  country." 

"  Good  heaven,  my  dear  Miss  Effingham  !  —  My 
opinion  of  your  sex,  in  America !  It  is  impossible  for 
any  one  to  entertain  a  higher  opinion  of  your  country 
women — as  I  hope  to  show — as,  I  trust,  my  respect 
and  admiration  have  always  proved — nay,  Powis,  you, 
as  an  American,  will  exonerate  me  from  this  want  of 
taste — judgment — feeling " 

Paul  laughed,  but  told  the  embarrassed  and  really 
distressed  baronet,  that  he  should  leave  him  in  the  very 
excellent  hands  into  which  he  had  fallen. 

"  You  see  that  bird,  that  is  sailing  so  prettily  above 
the  roofs  of  the  village,"  said  Eve,  pointing  with  her 
parasol  in  the  direction  she  meant ;  for  the  three  were 
walking  together  on  the  little  lawn,  in  waiting  for  the 
appearance  of  the  expected  guests ;  "  and  I  dare  say 
you  are  ornithologist  enough  to  tell  its  vulgar  name/' 

"  You  are  in  the  humour  to  be  severe  this  morning 
— the  bird  is  but  a  common  swallow." 

"  One  of  which  will  not  make  a  summer,  as  every 
one  knows.  Our  cosmopolitism  is  already  forgotten, 
and  with  it,  I  fear,  our  frankness." 

"  Since  Powis  has  hoisted  his  national  colours,  I  do 
not  feel  as  free  on  such  subjects  as  formerly,"  returned 
Sir  George,  smiling.  "  When  I  thought  I  had  a  secret 
ally  in  him,  I  was  not  afraid  to  concede  a  little  in  such 
things,  but  his  avowal  of  his  country  has  put  me  on 
my  guard.  In  no  case,  however,  shall  I  admit  my  insen 
sibility  to  the  qualities  of  your  countrywomen.  Powis, 
as  a  native,  may  take  that  liberty ;  but,  as  for  myself, 
I  shall  insist  they  are,  at  least,  the  equals  of  any 
females  I  know." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  269 

"  In  naivete,  prettiness,  delicacy  of  appearance,  sim 
plicity,  and  sincerity " 

"  In  sincerity,  think  you,  dear  Miss  Effingham  ?" 

"  In  sincerity,  above  all  things,  dear  Sir  George 
Templemore.  Sincerity — nay,  frankness  is  the  last 
quality  I  should  think  of  denying  them." 

"  But  to  return  to  Mrs.  Bloomfield — she  is  clever, 
exceedingly  clever,  I  allow;  in  what  is  her  clever 
ness  to  be  distinguished  from  that  of  one  of  her  sex, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean  ?" 

"  In  nothing,  perhaps,  did  there  exist  no  differences 
in  national  characteristics.  Naples  and  New- York  are 
in  the  same  latitude,  and  yet,  I  think  you  will  agree 
with  me,  that  there  is  little  resemblance  in  their  popu 
lations." 

"  I  confess  I  do  not  understand  the  allusion — are 
you  quicker  witted,  Powis  ?" 

"  I  will  not  say  that,"  answered  Paul ;  "  but  I  think 
I  do  comprehend  Miss  Effingham's  meaning.  You 
have  travelled  enough  to  know,  that,  as  a  rule,  there 
is  more  aptitude  in  a  southern,  than  in  a  northern  peo 
ple.  They  receive  impressions  more  readily,  and  are 
quicker  in  all  their  perceptions." 

"  I  believe  this  to  be  true ;  but,  then,  you  will  allow 
that  they  are  less  constant,  and  have  less  perseve 
rance?" 

"  In  that  we  are  agreed,  Sir  George  Templemore," 
resumed  Eve,  "  though  we  might  differ  as  to  the  cause. 
The  inconstancy  of  which  you  speak,  is  more  con 
nected  writh  moral  than  physical  causes,  perhaps,  and 
we,  of  this  region,  might  claim  an  exemption  from  some 
of  them.  But,  Mrs.  Bloomfield  is  to  be  distinguished 
from  her  European  rivals,  by  a  frame  so  singularly 
feminine  as  to  appear  fragile,  a  delicacy  of  exterior, 
that,  were  it  not  for  that  illumined  face  of  hers,  might 
indicate  a  general  feebleness,  a  sensitiveness  and  quick 
ness  of  intellect  that  amount  almost  to  inspiration ;  and, 
yet  ill  is  balanced  by  a  practical  common  sense,  that 
23* 


270  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

renders  her  as  safe  a  counsellor  as  she  is  a  warm 
friend.  This  latter  quality  causes  you  sometimes  to 
doubt  her  genius,  it  is  so  very  homely  and  available. 
Now  it  is  in  this,  that  I  think  the  American  woman, 
when  she  does  rise  above  mediocrity,  is  particularly 
to  be  distinguished  from  the  European.  The  latter, 
as  a  genius,  is  almost  always  in  the  clouds,  whereas, 
Mrs.  Bloomfield,  in  her  highest  flights,  is  either  all 
heart,  or  all  good  sense.  The  nation  is  practical,  and 
the  practical  qualities  get  to  be  imparted  even  to  its 
highest  order  of  talents." 

"  The  English  women  are  thought  to  be  less  excita 
ble,  and  not  so  much  under  the  influence  of  sentiment- 
alism,  as  some  of  their  continental  neighbours."  . 

"  And  very  justly — but " 

"  But,  what,  Miss  Effingham — there  is,  in  all  this,  a 
slight  return  to  the  cosmopolitism,  that  reminds  me  of 
our  days  of  peril  and  adventure.  Do  not  conceal  a 
thought,  if  you  wish  to  preserve  that  character." 

"  Well,  to  be  sincere,  I  shall  say  that  your  women 
live  under  a  system  too  sophisticated  and  factitious  to 
give  fair  play  to  common  sense,  at  all  times.  What, 
for  instance,  can  be  the  habitual  notions  of  one,  who, 
professing  the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  is  accustomed 
to  find  money  placed  so  very  much  in  the  ascendant, 
as  to  see  it  daily  exacted  in  payment  for  the  very  first 
of  the  sacred  offices  of  the  church  1  It  would  be  as  ra 
tional  to  contend  that  a  mirror  which  had  been  cracked 
into  radii,  by  a  bullet,  like  those  we  have  so  often  seen 
in  Paris,  would  reflect  faithfully,  as  to  suppose  a  mind 
familiarized  to  such  abuses  would  be  sensitive  on  prac 
tical  and  common  sense  things." 

"  But,  my  dear  Miss  Effingham,  this  is  all  habit.'* 

"I  know  it  is  all  habit,  Sir  George  Templemore, 
and  a  very  bad  habit  it  is.  Even  your  devoutest  cler 
gymen  get  so  accustomed  to  it,  as  not  to  see  the  capi 
tal  mistake  they  make.  I  do  not  say  it  is  absolutely 
sinful,  where  there  is  no  compulsion  ;  but,  I  hope  you 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  271 

agree  with  me,  Mr.  Powis,  when  I  say  I  think  a  cler 
gy-man  ought  to  be  so  sensitive  on  such  a  subject,  as 
to  refuse  even  the  little  offerings  for  baptisms,  that  it 
is  the  practice  of  the  wealthy  of  this  country  to  make." 

"  I  agree  with  you  entirely,  for  it  would  denote  a 
more  just  perception  of  the  nature  of  the  office  they 
are  performing ;  and  they  who  wish  to  give  can  al 
ways  make  occasions." 

"  A  hint  might  be  taken  from  Franklin,  who  is  said 
to  have  desired  his  father  to  ask  a  blessing  on  the  pork- 
barrel,  by  way  of  condensation,"  put  in  John  Effing- 
ham,  who  joined  them  as  he  spoke,  and  who  had  heard 
Ct  part  of  the  conversation.  "  In  this  instance,  an  ave 
rage  might  be  struck  in  the  marriage  fee,  that  should 
embrace  all  future  baptisms.  But  here  comes  neigh 
bour  Howel  to  favour  us  with  his  opinion.  Do  you 
like  the  usages  of  the  English  church,  as  respects  bap 
tisms,  Howel?" 

"Excellent,  the  best  in  the  world,  John  Effingham." 

"  Mr.  Howel  is  so  true  an  Englishman,"  said  Eve, 
shaking  hands  cordially  with  their  well-meaning  neigh 
bour,  "  that  he  would  give  a  certificate  in  favour  of 
polygamy,  if  it  had  a  British  origin." 

"  And  is  not  this  a  more  natural  sentiment  for  an 
American  than  that  which  distrusts  so  much,  merely 
because  it  comes  from  the  little  island!"  asked  Sir 
George,  reproachfully. 

"  That  is  a  question  I  shall  leave  Mr.  Howel  him 
self  to  answer." 

"  Why,  Sir  George,"  observed  the  gentleman  alluded 
to,  "  I  do  not  attribute  my  respect  lor  your  country, 
in  the  least,  to  origin.  I  endeavour  to  keep  myself 
free  from  all  sorts  of  prejudices.  My  admiration  of 
England  arises  from  conviction,  and  I  watch  all  her 
movements  with  the  utmost  jealousy,  in  order  to  see 
if  I  cannot  find  her  tripping,  though  I  feel  bound  to  say 
T  have  never  yet  detected  her  in  a  single  error.  What 
a  very  different  picture,  France — I  hope  your  govern 


272  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

ess  is  not  within  hearing,  Miss  Eve ;  it  is  not  her  fault ; 
she  was  born  a  French  woman,  and  we  would  not 
wish  to  hurt  her  feelings — but  what  a  different  picture 
France  presents  !  I  have  watched  her  narrowly  too, 
these  forty  years,  I  may  say,  and  I  have  never  yet 
found  her  right ;  and  this,  you  must  allow,  is  a  great 
deal  to  be  said  by  one  who  is  thoroughly  impartial." 

"  This  is  a  terrible  picture,  indeed,  Howel,  to  come 
from  an  unprejudiced  man,"  said  John  Effingham; 
**  and  I  make  no  doubt  Sir  George  Templemore  will 
have  a  better  opinion  of  himself  for  ever  after — he  for 
a  valiant  lion,  and  you  for  a  true  prince.  But  yonder 
is  the  '  exclusive  extra,'  which  contains  our  party." 

The  elevated  bit  of  lawn  on  which  they  were  walk 
ing  commanded  a  view  of  the  road  that  led  into  the 
village,  and  the  travelling  vehicle  engaged  by  Mrs. 
Hawker  and  her  friends,  was  now  seen  moving  along 
it  at  a  rapid  pace.  Eve  expressed  her  satisfaction, 
and  then  all  resumed  their  walk,  as  some  minutes  must 
still  elapse  previously  to  the  arrival. 

"Exclusive  extra  !"  repeated  Sir  George;  "that  is 
a  peculiar  phrase,  and  one  that  denotes  any  thing  but 
democracy." 

"  In  any  other  part  of  the  world  a  thing  would  be 
sufficiently  marked,  by  being  'extra,'  but  here  it  requires 
the  addition  of  'exclusive,'  in  order  to  give  it  the 
4  tower  stamp,' "  said  John  Effingham,  with  a  curl  of 
his  handsome  lip.  "  Any  thing  may  be  as  exclusive  as 
it  please,  provided  it  bear  the  public  impress.  A  stage 
coach  being  intended  for  every  body,  why,  the  more 
exclusive  it  is,  the  better.  The  next  thing  we  shall 
hear  of  will  be  exclusive  steamboats,  exclusive  rail 
roads,  and  both  for  the  uses  of  the  exclusive  people." 

Sir  George  now  seriously  asked  an  explanation  of 
the  meaning  of  the  term,  when  Mr.  Howel  informed 
him  that  an  '  extra'  in  America  meant  a  supernumerary 
coach,  to  carry  any  excess  of  the  ordinary  number 
of  passengers ;  whereas  an  '  exclusive  extra'  meant  a 
coach  expresslv  engaged  by  a  particular  individual. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  273 

"  The  latter,  then,  is  American  posting,"  observed 
Sir  George. 

"  You  have  got  the  best  idea  of  it  that  can  be  given," 
said  Paul.  "  It  is  virtually  posting  with  a  coachman, 
instead  of  postillions,  few  persons  in  this  country, 
where  so  much  of  the  greater  distances  is  done  by 
steam,  using  their  own  travelling  carriages.  The 
American  '  exclusive  extra'  is  not  only  posting,  but,  in 
many  of  the  older  parts  of  the  country,  it.  is  posting 
of  a  very  good  quality." 

"  I  dare  say,  now,  this  is  all  wrong,  if  we  only  knew 
it,"  said  the  simple-minded  Mr.  Howel.  "  There  is 
nothing  exclusive  in  England,  ha,  Sir  George  1" 

Every  body  laughed  except  the  person  who  put  this 
question,  but  the  rattling  of  wheels  and  the  tramping 
of  horses  on  the  village  bridge,  announced  the  near 
approach  of  the  travellers.  By  the  time  the  party  had 
reached  the  great  door  in  front  of  the  house,  the  car 
riage  was  already  in  the  grounds,  and  at  the  next  mo 
ment,  Eve  was  in  the  arms  of  Mrs.  Bloomfield.  It 
was  apparent,  at  a  glance,  that  more  than  the  expected 
number  of  guests  was  in  the  vehicle ;  and  as  its  contents 
were  slowly  discharged,  the  spectators  stood  around 
it,  with  curiosity,  to  observe  who  would  appear. 

The  first  person  that  descended,  after  the  exit  of 
Mrs.  Bloomfield,  was  Captain  Truck,  who,  however, 
instead  of  saluting  his  friends,  turned  assiduously  to 
the  door  he  had  just  passed  through,  to  assist  Mrs. 
Hawker  to  alight.  Not  until  this  office  had  been  done, 
did  he  even  look  for  Eve ;  for,  so  profound  was  the 
worthy  captain's  admiration  and  respect  for  this  vene 
rable  lady,  that  she  actually  had  got  to  supplant  our 
heroine,  in  some  measure,  in  his  heart.  Mr.  Bloom- 
field  appeared  next,  and  an  exclamation  of  surprise 
and  pleasure  proceeded  from  both  Paul  and  the  baro 
net,  as  they  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  face  of  the  last 
of  the  travellers  that  got  out. 

"  Ducie !"  cried  Sir  George.  "  This  is  even  better 
than  we  expected." 


274  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

"  Ducie  !"  added  Paul,  "  you  are  several  days  before 
the  expected  time,  and  in  excellent  company." 

The  explanation,  however,  was  very  simple.  Cap 
tain  Ducie  had  found  the  facilities  for  rapid  motion 
much  greater  than  he  had  expected,  and  he  reached 
Fort  Plain,  in  the  eastward  cars,  as  the  remainder  of 
the  party  arrived  in  the  westward.  Captain  Truck- 
who  had  met  Mrs.  Hawker's  party  in  the  river  boat, 
had  been  intrusted  with  the  duty  of  making  the  ar 
rangements,  and  recognizing  Captain  Ducie,  to  their 
mutual  surprise,  while  engaged  in  this  employment, 
and  ascertaining  his  destination,  the  latter  was  very 
cordially  received  into  the  "  exclusive  extra." 

Mr.  Effingham  welcomed  all  his  guests  with  the 
hospitality  and  kindness  for  which  he  was  distinguished. 
We  are  no  great  admirers  of  the  pretension  to  peculiar 
national  virtues,  having  ascertained,  to  our  own  satis 
faction,  by  tolerably  extensive  observation,  that  the 
moral  difference  between  men  is  of  no  great  amount ; 
but  we  are  almost  tempted  to  say,  on  this  occasion, 
that  Mr.  Effingham  received  his  guests  with  A  .nencan 
hospitality ;  for  if  there  be  one  quality  that  this  people 
can  claim  to  possess  in  a  higher  degree  tha'i  that  of 
most  other  Christian  nations,  it  is  that  of  a  si  nple,  sin 
cere,  confiding  hospitality.  For  Mrs.  Hawker,  in  com 
mon  with  all  who  knew  her,  the  owner  of  the  Wig 
wam  entertained  a  profound  respect ;  and  though  his 
less  active  mind  did  not  take  as  much  pleasure  as  that 
of  his  daughter,  in  the  almost  intuitive  intelligence  of 
Mrs.  Bloomfield,  he  also  felt  for  this  lady  a  very  friend 
ly  regard.  It  gave  him  pleasure  to  see  Eve  surrounded 
by  persons  of  her  own  sex,  of  so  high  a  tone  of  thought 
and  breeding ;  a  tone  of  thought  and  breeding,  more 
over,  that  was  as  far  removed  as  possible  from  any 
thing  strained  or  artificial:  and  his  welcomes  were 
cordial  in  proportion.  Mr.  Bloomfield  was  a  quiet, 
sensible,  gentleman-like  man,  whom  his  wife  fervently 
loved,  without  making  any  parade  of  her  attachment* 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  275 

and  he  was  also  one  who  had  the  good  sense  to  make 
himself  agreeable  wherever  he  went.  Captain  Ducie, 
who,  Englishman-like,  had  required  some  urging  to  be 
induced  to  present  himself  before  the  precise  hour 
named  in  his  own  letter,  and  who  had  seriously  con 
templated  passing  several  days  in  a  tavern,  previously 
to  showing  himself  at  the  Wigwam,  was  agreeably  dis 
appointed  at  a  reception,  that  would  have  been  just  as 
frank  and  warm,  had  he  come  without  any  notice  at 
all :  for  the  Effinghams  knew  that  the  usages  which  so 
phistication  and  a  crowded  population  perhaps  render 
necessary  in  older  countries,  were  not  needed  in  their 
own ;  and  then  the  circumstance  that  their  quondam 
pursuer  was  so  near  a  kinsman  of  Paul  Fowls',  did  not 
fail  to  act  essentially  in  his  favour. 

"  We  can  offer  but  little,  in  these  retired  mountains, 
to  interest  a  traveller  and  a  man  of  the  world,  Captain 
Ducie,  "  said  Mr.  Effingham,  when  he  went  to  pay  his 
compliments  more  particularly,  after  the  whole  party 
was  in  the  house ;  "  but  there  is  a  common  interest  in 
our  past  adventures  to  talk  about,  after  all  other  topics 
fail.  When  we  met  on  the  ocean,  and  you  deprived  us 
so  unexpectedly  of  our  friend  Powis,  we  did  not  know 
that  you  had  the  better  claim  of  affinity  to  his  com 
pany." 

Captain  Ducie  coloured  slightly,  but  he  made  his  an 
swer  with  a  proper  degree  of  courtesy  and  gratitude. 

"  It  is  very  true,"  he  added,  "  Powis  and  myself  are 
relatives,  and  I  shall  place  all  my  claims  to  your  hos 
pitality  to  his  account;  for  I  feel  that  I  have  been 
the  unwilling  cause  of  too  much  suffering  to  your  party, 
to  bring  with  me  any  very  pleasant  recollections,  not 
withstanding  your  kindness  in  including  me  as  a  friend, 
n  the  adventures  of  which  you  speak." 

"Dangers  that  are  happily  past,  seldom  bring  very 
unpleasant  recollections,  more  especially  when  they 
were  connected  with  scenes  of  excitement.  I  under 
stand,  sir,  that  the  unhappy  young  man,  who  was  the 


276  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

principal  cause  of  all  that  passed,  anticipated  the  sen 
tence  of  the  law,  by  destroying  himself." 

"He  was  his  own  executioner,  and  the  victim  of  a 
silly  weakness  that,  I  should  think,  your  state  of  society 
was  yet  too  young  and  simple  to  encourage.  The  idle 
vanity  of  making  an  appearance,  a  vanity,  by  the  way, 
that  seldom  besets  gentlemen,  or  the  class  to  which  it 
may  be  thought  more  properly  to  belong,  ruins  hundreds 
of  young  men  in  England,  and  this  poor  creature  was 
of  the  number.  I  never  was  more  rejoiced  than  when 
he  quitted  my  ship,  for  the  sight  of  so  much  weakness 
sickened  one  of  human  nature.  Miserable  as  his  fate 
proved  to  be,  and  pitiable  as  his  condition  really  was, 
while  in  my  charge,  his  case  has  the  alleviating  cir 
cumstance  with  me,  of  having  made  me  acquainted 
with  those  whom  it  might  not  otherwise  have  been 
my  good  fortune  to  meet !" 

This  civil  speech  was  properly  acknowledged,  and 
Mr.  Effingham  addressed  himself  to  Captain  Truck,  to 
whom,  in  the  hurry  of  the  moment,  he  had  not  yet  said 
half  that  his  feelings  dictated. 

"  I  am  rejoiced  to  see  you  under  my  roof,  my  wor 
thy  friend,"  taking  the  rough  hand  of  the  old  seaman 
between  his  own  whiter  and  more  delicate  fingers,  and 
shaking  it  with  cordiality,  "  for  this  is  being  under  my 
roof,  while  those  town  residences  have  less  the  air  of 
domestication  and  familiarity.  You  will  spend  many 
of  your  holidays  here,  I  trust ;  and  when  we  get  a  few 
years  older,  we  will  begin  to  prattle  about  the  marvels 
we  have  seen  in  company." 

The  eye  of  Captain  Truck  glistened,  and,  as  he  return 
ed  the  shake  by  another  of  twice  the  energy,  and  the 
gentle  pressure  of  Mr.  Effingham  by  a  squeeze  like 
that  of  a  vice,  he  said  in  his  honest  off-hand  manner — 

"  The  happiest  hour  I  ever  knew  was  that  in  which 
f  discharged  the  pilot,  the  first  time  out,  as  a  ship-mas 
ter;  the  next  great  event  of  my  life,  in  the  way  of  hap 
piness,  was  the  moment  I  found  myself  on  the  deck  of 
the  Montauk,  after  we  had  given  those  greasy  Arabs  a 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  277 

hint  that  their  room  was  better  than  their  company;  and 
I  really  think  this  very  instant  must  be  set  down  as  the 
third.  I  never  knew,  my  dear  sir,  how  much  I  truly  loved 
you  and  your  daughter,  until  both  were  out  of  sigh*  " 

"  That  is  so  kind  and  gallant  a  speech,  that  it  ought 
not  to  be  lost  on  the  person  most  concerned.  Eve,  my 
love,  our  worthy  friend  has  just  made  a  declaration 
which  will  be  a  novelty  to  you,  who  have  not  been 
much  in  the  way  of  listening  to  speeches  of  this  nature." 

Mr.  Effingham  then  acquainted  his  daughter  with 
what  Captain  Truck  had  just  said. 

"  This  is  certainly  the  first  declaration  of  the  sort 
I  ever  heard,  and  with  the  simplicity  of  an  unprac 
tised  young  woman,  I  here  avow  that  the  attachment 
is  reciprocal,"  said  the  smiling  Eve.  "  If  there  is  an 
indiscretion  in  this  hasty  acknowledgement,  it  must  be 
ascribed  to  surprise,  and  to  the  suddenness  with  which 
[  have  learned  my  power,  for  your  parvenues  are  not 
always  perfectly  regulated," 

"  I  hope  Mamselle  V.  A.  V.  is  well,"  returned  the 
Captain,  cordially  shaking  the  hand  the  young  lady  had 
given  him,  "  and  that  she  enjoys  herself  to  her  liking 
In  this  outlandish  country?" 

"  Mademoiselle  Viefville  will  return  you  her  thanks 
in  person,  at  dinner ;  and  I  believe  she  does  not  yet 
regret  la  belle  France  unreasonably ;  as  I  regret  it  my 
self,  in  many  particulars,  it  would  be  unjust  not  to  per- 
aiit  a  native  of  the  country  some  liberty  in  that  way." 

"  I  perceive  a  strange  face  in  the  room — one  of  the 
family,  my  dear  young  lady  ?' 

"  Not  a  relative,  but  a  very  old  friend. — Shall  I  have 
the  pleasure  of  introducing  you,  Captain  ?" 

"  I  hardly  dared  to  ask  it,  for  I  know  you  must  have 
been  overworked  in  this  way,  lately,  but  I  confess  I 
should  like  an  introduction ;  I  have  neither  introduced, 
nor  been  introduced  since  I  left  New-York,  with  the 
exception  of  the  case  of  Captain  Ducie,  whom  I  made 
properly  acquainted  with  Mrs.  Hawker  and  her  party 
as  vou  may  suppose.  They  know  each  other  regu 
24 


278  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

larly  now,  and  you  are  saved  the  trouble   of  going 
through  the  ceremony  yourself." 

"  And  how  is  it  with  you  and  the  Bloomfields  1  Did 
Mrs.  Hawker  name  you  to  them  properly  ?" 

"  That  is  the  most  extraordinary  thing  of  the  sort  I 
ever  knew !  Not  a  word  was  said  in  the  way  of  intro 
duction,  and  yet  I  slid  into  an  acquaintance  with  Mrs. 
Bloomfield  so  easily,  that  I  could  not  tell  how  it  was 
done,  if  my  life  depended  on  it.  But  this  very  old 
friend  of  yours,  my  dear  youwg  lady " 

"  Captain  Truck,  Mr.  Howel ;  Mr.  Howel,  Captain 
Truck ;"  said  Eve,  imitating  the  most  approved  man 
ner  of  the  introductory  spirit  of  the  day  with  admira 
ble  self-possession  and  gravity.  "  I  am  fortunate  in 
having  it  in  my  power  to  make  two  persons  whom  1 
so  much  esteem  acquainted." 

"  Captain  Truck  is  the  gentleman  who  commands 
the  Montauk  ?'  said  Mr.  Howel,  glancing  at  Eve,  as 
much  as  to  say,  "  am  I  right  ?" 

"  The  very  same,  and  the  brave  seaman  to  whom 
we  are  all  indebted  for  the  happiness  of  standing  here 
at  this  moment." 

"You  are  to  be  envied,  Captain  Truck;  of  all  the 
men  in  your  calling,  you  are  exactly  the  one  I  should 
most  wish  to  supplant.  I  understand  you  actually  go 
to  England  twice  every  year !" 

"  Three  times,  sir,  when  the  winds  permit.  I  have 
even  seen  the  old  island  four  times,  between  January 
and  January." 

"  What  a  pleasure !  It  must  be  the  very  acme  of 
navigation  to  sail  between  America  and  England !" 

"  It  is  not  unpleasant,  sir,  from  April  to  November, 
but  the  long  nights,  thick  weather,  and  heavy  winds 
knock  off  a  good  deal  of  the  satisfaction  for  the  rest 
of  the  year." 

"  But  I  speak  of  the  country ;  of  old  England  itself; 
*iot  of  the  passages." 

*  Well,  England  has  what  I  call  a  pretty  fair  coast. 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  279 

It  is  high,  and  great  attention  is  paid  to  the  lights ;  but 
of  what  account  is  either  coast  or  lights,  if  the  wea 
ther  is  so  thick,  you  cannot  see  the  end  of  your  flying- 
jib-boom  !" 

"  Mr.  Howel  alludes  more  particularly  to  the  coun 
try,  inland,"  said  Eve  ;  "to  the  towns,  the  civilization, 
and  the  other  proofs  of  cultivation  and  refinement.  To 
the  government,  especially." 

"  In  my  judgment,  sir,  the  government  is  much  too 
particular  about  tobacco,  and  some  other  trifling  things 
I  could  name.  Then  it  restricts  pennants  to  King's 
ships,  whereas,  to  my  notion,  my  dear  young  lady,  a 
New- York  packet  is  as  worthy  of  wearing  a  pennant 
as  any  vessel  that  floats.  I  mean,  of  course,  ships  of 
the  regular  European  lines,  and  not  the  Southern 
traders." 

"  But  these  are  merely  spots  on  the  sun,  my  good 
sir,"  returned  Mr.  Howel ;  "  putting  a  few  such  trifleg 
out  of  the  question,  I  think  you  will  allow  that  Eng 
land  is  the  most  delightful  country  in  the  wrorld  ?" 

"  To  be  frank  with  you,  Mr.  Howel,  there  is  a  good 
deal  of  hang-dog  weather,  along  in  October,  Novem 
ber  and  December.  I  have  known  March  any  thing 
but  agreeable,  and  then  April  is  just  like  a  young  girl 
with  one  of  your  melancholy  novels,  now  smiling,  and 
now  blubbering." 

"  But  the  morals  of  the  country,  my  dear  sir ;  the 
moral  features  of  England  must  be  a  source  of  never- 
dying  delight  to  U  true  philanthropist,"  resumed  Mr. 
Howel,  as  Eve,  who  perceived  that  the  discourse  was 
likely  to  be  long,  went  to  join  the  ladies.  "An 
Englishman  has  most  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  moral 
excellencies  of  his  country  !" 

"  Why,  to  be  frank  with  you,  Mr.  Howel,  there  are 
some  of  the  moral  features  of  London,  that  are  any 
thing  but  very  beautiful.  If  you  could  pass  twenty- 
four  hours  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Catharine's, 
you  would  see  sights  that  would  throw  Templeton 


280  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

into   fits.     The   English   are   a  handsome  people,  I 
allow ;  but  their  morality  is  none  of  the  best-featured." 

"  Let  us  be  seated,  sir ;  I  am  afraid  we  are  not 
exactly  agreed  on  our  terms,  and,  in  order  that  we 
may  continue  this  subject,  I  beg  you  will  let  me  take 
a  seat  next  you,  at  table." 

To  this  Captain  Truck  very  cheerfully  assented, 
and  then  the  two  took  chairs,  continuing  the  discourse 
very  much  in  the  blind  and  ambiguous  manner  in 
which  it  had  been  commenced ;  the  one  party  insisting 
on  seeing  every  thing  through  the  medium  of  an  ima 
gination  that  had  got  to  be  diseased  on  such  subjects, 
or  with  a  species  of  monomania ;  while  the  other 
seemed  obstinately  determined  to  consider  the  entire 
country  as  things  had  been  presented  to  his  limited 
and  peculiar  experience,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  docks. 

"We  have  had  a  very  unexpected,  and  a  very 
agreeable  attendant  in  Captain  Truck,"  said  Mrs 
Hawker,  when  Eve  had  placed  herself  by  her  side, 
and  respectfully  taken  one  of  her  hands.  "  I  really 
think  if  I  were  to  suffer  shipwreck,  or  to  run  the  haz 
ard  of  captivity,  I  should  choose  to  have  both  occur 
in  his  good  company." 

"  Mrs.  Hawker  makes  so  many  conquests,"  observed 
Mrs.  Bloomfield,  "  that  we  are  to  think  nothing  of  her 
success  with  this  mer-man;  but  what  will  you  say, 
Miss  Effingham,  when  you  learn  that  I  am  also  in 
favour,  in  the  same  high  quarter.  I  shall  think  the 
better  of  masters,  and  boatswains,  and  Trinculos  and 
Stephanos,  as  long  as  I  live,  for  this  specimen  of  their 
craft." 

"  Not  Trinculos  and  Stephanos,  dear  Mrs.  Bloom 
field ;  for,  &  T  exception  pres  de  Saturday-nights,  and 
sweet-hearts  and  wives,  a  more  exemplary  person  in 
the  way  of  libations  does  not  exist  than  our  excellent 
Captain  Truck.  He  is  much  too  religious  and  moral 
for  so  vulgar  an  excess  as  drinking." 

"Religious!"  exclaimed   Mrs.  Bloomfield,  in   sur- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  281 

prise.  "  This  is  a  merit  to  which  I  did  not  know  he 
possessed  the  smallest  claims.  One  might  imagine  a 
little  superstition,  and  some  short-lived  repentances  in 
gales  of  wind ;  but  scarcely  any  thing  as  much  like  a 
trade  wind,  as  religion !" 

"  Then  you  do  not  know  him ;  for  a  more  sincerely 
devout  man,  though  I  acknowledge  it  is  after  a  fashion 
that  is  perhaps  peculiar  to  the  ocean,  is  not  often  met 
with.  At  any  rate,  you  found  him  attentive  to  our 
sex  r 

"  The  pink  of  politeness,  and,  not  to  embellish,  there  is 
a  manly  deference  about  him,  that  is  singularly  agree 
able  to  our  frail  vanity.  This  comes  of  his  packet- 
training,  I  suppose,  and  we  may  thank  you  for  some 
portion  of  his  merit.  His  tongue  never  tires  in  your 
praises,  and  did  I  not  feel  persuaded  that  your  mind  is 
made  up  never  to  be  the  wife  of  any  republican  Ame 
rican,  I  should  fear  this  visit  exceedingly.  Notwith 
standing  the  remark  I  made  concerning  my  being  in 
favour,  the  affair  lies  between  Mrs.  Hawker  and  your 
self.  I  know  it  is  not  your  habit  to  trifle  even  on  that 
very  popular  subject  with  young  ladies,  matrimony ; 
but  this  case  forms  so  complete  an  exception  to  the 
vulgar  passion,  that  I  trust  you  will  overlook  the  indis 
cretion.  Our  golden  captain,  for  copper  he  is  not, 
protests  that  Mrs.  Hawker  is  the  most  delightful  old 
lady  he  ever  knew,  and  that  Miss  Eve  Effingham  is 
the  most  delightful  young  lady  he  ever  knew.  Here, 
then,  each  may  see  the  ground  she  occupies,  and  play 
her  cards  accordingly.  I  hope  to  be  forgiven  for 
touching  on  a  subject  so  delicate." 

%  In  the  first  place,"  said  Eve,  smiling,  "  I  should 
wish  to  hear  Mrs.  Hawker's  reply." 

"  I  have  no  more  to  say,  than  to  express  my  per 
fect  gratitude,"  answered  that  lady,  "  to  announce  a 
determination  not  to  change  my  condition,  on  account 
of  extreme  youth,  and  a  disposition  to  abandon  the 
field  to  my  younger,  if  not  fairer,  rival." 
24* 


282  HOME    AS    FOUND 

"  Well,  then,"  resumed  Eve,  anxious  to  change  the 
subject,  for  she  saw  that  Paul  was  approaching  their 
group,  "  I  believe  it  will  be  wisest  in  me  to  sus 
pend  a  decision,  circumstances  leaving  so  much  at 
my  disposal.  Time  must  show  what  that  decision 
will  be." 

"  Nay,"  said  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  who  saw  no  feeling 
involved  in  the  trifling,  "  this  is  unjustifiable  coquetry, 
and  I  feel  bound  to  ascertain  how  the  land  lies.  You 
will  remember  I  am  the  Captain's  confidant,  and  you 
know  the  fearful  responsibility  of  a  friend  in  an  affair 
of  this  sort ;  that  of  a  friend  in  the  duello  being  insig 
nificant  in  comparison.  That  I  may  have  testimony 
at  need,  Mr.  Powis  shall  be  made  acquainted  with  the 
leading  facts.  Captain  Truck  is  a  devout  admirer  of 
this  young  lady,  sir,  and  I  am  endeavouring  to  disco 
ver  whether  he  ought  to  hang  himself  on  her  father's 
lawn,  this  evening,  as  soon  as  the  moon  rises,  or  live 
another  week.  In  order  to  do  this,  I  shall  pursue  the 
categorical  and  inquisitorial  method — and  so  defend 
yourself  Miss  Effingham.  Do  you  object  to  the  coun 
try  of  your  admirer?" 

Eve,  though  inwardly  vexed  at  the  turn  this  plea 
santry  had  taken,  maintained  a  perfectly  composed 
manner,  for  she  knew  that  Mrs.  Bloomfield  had  too 
much  feminine  propriety  to  say  any  thing  improper,  or 
any  thing  that  might  seriously  embarrass  her. 

"  It  would,  indeed,  be  extraordinary,  should  I  object 
to  a  country  which  is  not  only  my  own,  but  which  has 
so  long  been  that  of  my  ancestors,"  she  answered 
steadily.  "  On  this  score,  my  knight  has  nothing  to 
fear."  *, 

"  I  rejoice  to  hear  this,"  returned  Mrs.  Bloomfield, 
glancing  her  eyes,  unconsciously  to  herself,  however, 
towards  Sir  George  Templemore,  "  and,  Mr.  Powis, 
you,  who  I  believe  are  a  European,  will  learn  humility 
in  the  avowal.  Do  you  object  to  your  swain  that  he 
is  a  seaman?" 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  283 

Eve  blushed,  notwithstanding  a  strong  effort  to  ap 
pear  composed,  and,  for  the  first  time  since  their  ac 
quaintance,  she  felt  provoked  with  Mrs.  Bloomfield. 
She  hesitated  before  she  answered  in  the  negative, 
and  this  too  in  a  way  to  give  more  meaning  to  her 
reply,  although  nothing  could  be  farther  from  her  in 
tentions. 

"  The  happy  man  may  then  be  an  American  and  a 
seaman!  Here  is  great  encouragement.  Do  you 
object  to  sixty  ?" 

"In  any  other  man  I  should  certainly  consider  it  a 
blemish,  as  my  own  dear  father  is  but  fifty." 

Mrs.  Bloomfield  was  struck  with  the  tremor  in  the 
voice,  and  with  the  air  of  embarrassment,  in  one  who 
usually  was  so  easy  and  collected ;  and  with  feminine 
sensitiveness  she  adroitlty  abandoned  the  subject,  though 
she  often  recurred  to  this  stifled  emotion  in  the  course 
of  the  day,  and  from  that  moment  she  became  a  silent 
observer  of  Eve's  deportment  with  all  her  father's 
guests. 

"  This  is  hope  enough  for  one  day,"  she  said,  rising ; 
"  the  profession  and  the  flag  must  counterbalance  the 
years  as  best  they  may,  and  the  Truck  lives  another 
revolution  of  the  sun !  Mrs.  Hawker,  we  shall  be  late 
at  dinner,  I  see  by  that  clock,  unless  we  retire  soon." 

Both  the  ladies  now  went  to  their  rooms ;  Eve,  who 
was  already  dressed  for  dinner,  remaining  in  the  draw 
ing-room.  Paul  still  stood  before  her,  and,  like  horself, 
he  seemed  embarrassed. 

"  There  are  men  who  would  be  delighted  to  hear 
even  the  little  that  has  fallen  from  your  lips  in  this  tri 
fling,"  he  said,  as  soon  as  Mrs.  Bloomfield  was  out  of 
hearing.  "  To  be  an  American  and  a  seaman,  then, 
are  not  serious  defects  in  your  eyes  ?" 

"  Am  I  to  be  made  responsible  for  Mrs.  Bloomfield's 
caprices  and  pleasantries  ?" 

"  By  no  means ;  but  I  do  think  you  hold  yourself 
responsible  for  Miss  Effingham's  truth  and  sincerity 


284  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

I  can  conceive  of  your  silence,  when  questioned  too 
far,  but  scarcely  of  any  direct  declaration,  that  shall 
not  possess  both  these  high  qualities." 

Eve  looked  up  gratefully,  for  she  saw  that  profound 
respect  for  her  character  dictated  the  remark;  but 
rising,  she  observed — 

"  This  is  making  a  little  badinage  about  our  honest, 
lion-hearted,  old  captain,  a  very  serious  affair.  And 
now,  to  show  you  that  I  am  conscious  of,  and  thank 
ful  for,  your  own  compliment,  I  shall  place  you  on  the 
footing  of  a  friend  to  both  the  parties,  and  request 
you  will  take  Captain  Truck  into  your  especial  care, 
while  he  remains  here.  My  father  and  cousin  are 
both  sincerely  his  friends,  but  their  habits  are  not  so 
much  those  of  their  guests,  as  yours  will  probably  be ; 
and  to  you,  then,  I  commit  him,  with  a  request  that 
he  may  miss  his  ship  and  the  ocean  as  little  as  possi 
ble."  ' 

UI  would  I  knew  how  to  take  this  charge,  Miss 
Effingham ! — To  be  a  seaman  is  not  always  a  recom 
mendation  with  the  polished,  intelligent,  and  refined." 

"  But  when  one  is  polished,  intelligent,  and  refined, 
to  be  a  seaman  is  to  add  one  other  particular  and  use 
ful  branch  of  knowledge  to  those  which  are  more  fa 
miliar.  I  feel  certain  Captain  Truck  will  be  in  good 
hands,  and  now  I  will  go  and  do  my  devoirs  to  my 
own  especial  charges,  the  ladies." 

Eve  bowed  as  she  passed  the  young  man,  and  she 
left  the  room  with  as  much  haste  as  at  all  became 
her.  Paul  stood  motionless  quite  a  minute  after  she 
had  vanished,  nor  did  he  awaken  from  his  reverie,  un 
til  aroused  by  an  appeal  from  Captain  Truck,  to  sustain 
him,  in  some  of  his  matter-of-fact  opinions  concerning 
England,  against  the  visionary  and  bookish  notions  of 
Mr.  Howel. 

"Who  is  this  Mr.  Powis?"  asked  Mrs.  Bloomfield 
of  Eve,  when  the  latter  appeared  in  her  dressing-room, 
with  an  unusual  impatience  of  manner. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  285 

"  You  know,  my  dear  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  that  he  was 
our  fellow-passenger  in  the  Montauk,  and  that  he  was 
of  infinite  service  to  us,  in  escaping  from  the  Arabs." 

"  All  this  I  know,  certainly ;  but  he  is  a  European, 
is  he  not?" 

Eve  scarcely  ever  felt  more  embarrassed  than  in 
answering  this  simple  question. 

"  I  believe  not ;  at  least,  I  think  not ;  we  thought  so 
when  we  met  him  in  Europe,  and  even  until  quite 
lately ;  but  he  has  avowed  himself  a  countryman  of 
our  own,  since  his  arrival  at  Templeton." 

"  Has  he  been  here  long?' 

"  We  found  him  in  the  village  on  reaching  home. 
He  was  from  Canada,  and  has  been  in  waiting  for 
his  cousin,  Captain  Ducie,  who  came  with  you." 

"His  cousin! — He  has  English  cousins,  then!  Mi. 
Ducie  kept  this  to  himself,  with  true  English  reserve. 
Captain  Truck  whispered  something  of  the  latter's 
having  taken  out  one  of  his  passengers,  the  Mr.  Powis, 
the  hero  of  the  rocks,  but  I  did  not  know  of  his  hav- 
kig  found  his  way  back  to  our — to  his  country.  Is  he 
as  agreeable  as  Sir  George  Templemore '(" 

"Nay,  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  I  must  leave  you  to  judge 
of  that  for  yourself.  I  think  them  both  agreeable  men ; 
but  there  is  so  much  caprice  in  a  woman's  tastes,  that 
I  decline  thinking  for  others." 

"  He  is  a  seaman,  I  believe,"  observed  Mrs.  Bloom- 
field,  with  an  abstracted  manner — "  he  must  have  been, 
to  have  manoeuvred  and  managed  as  I  have  been  told 
he  did.  Powis — Powis — that  is  not  one  of  our  names, 
neither — I  should  think  he  must  be  from  the  south." 

Here  Eve's  habitual  truth  and  dignity  of  mind  did 
her  good  service,  and  prevented  any  further  betrayal 
of  embarrassment. 

"We  do  not  know  his  family,"  she  steadily  an 
swered.  "  That  he  is  a  gentleman,  we  see ;  but  of  his 
origin  and  connections  he  never  speaks." 

"  His  profession  would  have  given  him  the  notions 


286  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

of  a  gentleman,  for  he  was  in  the  navy  I  have  heard, 
although  I  had  thought  it  the  British  navy.  I  do  not 
know  of  any  Powises  in  Philadelphia,  or  Baltimore,  or 
Richmond,  or  Charleston;  he  must  surely  be  from 
the  interior." 

Eve  could  scarcely  condemn  her  friend  for  a  curi 
osity  that  had  not  a  little  tormented  herself,  though  she 
would  gladly  change  the  discourse. 

"  Mr.  Powis  would  be  much  gratified,  did  he  know 
what  a  subject  of  interest  he  has  suddenly  become 
with  Mrs.  Bloomfield,"  she  said,  smiling. 

"  I  confess  it  all ;  to  be  very  sincere,  I  think  him  the 
most  distinguished  young  man,  in  air,  appearance,  and 
expression  of  countenance,  I  ever  saw.  When  this  is 
coupled  with  what  I  have  heard  of  his  gallantry  and 
coolness,  my  dear,  I  should  not  be  woman  to  feel  no 
interest  in  him.  I  would  give  the  world  to  know  of 
what  State  he  is  a  native,  if  native,  fin  truth,  he  be." 

"  For  that  we  have  his  own  word.  He  was  born  in 
this  country,  and  was  educated  in  our  own  marine." 

"  And  yet  from  the  little  that  fell  from  him,  in  our 
first  short  conversation,  he  struck  me  as  being  educated 
above  his  profession." 

"Mr.  Powis  has  seen  much  as  a  traveller;  when 
we  met  him  in  Europe,  it  was  in  a  circle  particularly 
qualified  to  improve  both  his  mind  and  his  manners." 

"  Europe  !  Your  acquaintance  did  not  then  com 
mence,  like  that  with  Sir  George  Templemore,  in  the 
packet?" 

"  Our  acquaintance  with  neither,  commenced  in  the 
packet.  My  father  had  often  seen  both  these  gentle 
men,  during  our  residences  in  different  parts  of  Eu 
rope." 

"  And  your  father's  daughter  ?" 

"My  father's  daughter,  too,"  said  Eve,  laughing. 
"  With  Mr.  Powis,  in  particular,  we  were  acquainted 
under  circumstances  that  left  a  vivid  recollection  of 


HOME  AS   FOUND.  287 

his  manliness  and  professional  skill.  He  was  of  almost 
as  much  service  to  us  on  one  of  the  Swiss  lakes,  a? 
he  has  subsequently  been  on  the  ocean." 

All  this  was  news  to  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  and  she  looked 
as  if  she  thought  the  intelligence  interesting.  At  this 
moment  the  dinner-bell  rang,  and  all  the  ladies  descend 
ed  to  the  drawing-room.  The  gentlemen  were  already 
assembled,  and  as  Mr.  Effingham  led  Mrs.  Hawker 
to  the  table,  Mrs.  Bloomfield  gaily  took  Eve  by  the 
arm,  protesting  that  she  felt  herself  privileged,  the  first 
day,  to  take  a  seat  near  the  young  mistress  of  the 
Wigwam. 

"  Mr.  Powis  and  Sir  George  Templemore  will  not 
quarrel  about  the  honour,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice,  as 
they  proceeded  towards  the  table. 

"  Indeed  you  are  in  error,  Mrs.  Bloomfield ;  Sir 
George  Templemore  is  much  better  pleased  with  being 
at  liberty  to  sit  next  my  cousin  Grace." 

"  Can  this  be  so !"  returned  the  other,  looking  intently 
at  her  young  friend. 

"  Indeed  it  is  so,  and  I  am  very  glad  to  be  able  to 
affirm  it.  How  far  Miss  Van  Cortlandt  is  pleased  that 
it  is  so,  time  must  show :  but  the  baronet  betrays  every 
day,  and  all  day,  how  much  he  is  pleased  with  her." 

"  He  is  then  a  man  of  less  taste,  and  judgment,  and 
intelligence,  than  I  had  thought  him." 

"  Nay,  dearest  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  this  is  not  necessa 
rily  true ;  or,  if  true,  need  it  be  so  openly  said  V9 

"  Se  non  e  vero,  e  ben  trovato" 


288  HOME    AS   FOUND. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


"Thine  for  a  space  are  they — 
Yet  shalt  them  yield  thy  treasures  up  at  l*rt; 

Thy  gates  shall  yet  give  way, 
Thy  bolts  shall  fall,  inexorable  Past." 

BRYANT 


CAPTAIN  DUCIE  had  retired  for  the  night,  and  was 
sitting  reading,  when  a  low  tap  at  the  door  roused  him 
from  a  brown  study.  He  gave  the  necessary  permis 
sion,  and  the  door  opened. 

"  I  hope,  Ducie,  you  have  not  forgotten  the  secretary 
I  left  among  your  effects,"  said  Paul  entering  the  room, 
"  and  concerning  which  I  wrote  you  when  you  were 
still  at  Quebec." 

Captain  Ducie  pointed  to  the  case,  which  was  stand 
ing  among  his  other  luggage,  on  the  floor  of  the  room. 

"Thank  you  for  this  care,"  said  Paul,  taking  the 
secretary  under  his  arm,  and  retiring  towards  the  door; 
"  it  contains  papers  of  much  importance  to  myself,  and 
some  that  I  have  reason  to  think  are  of  importance  to 
others." 

"  Stop,  Powis  —  a  word  before  you  quit  me.  Is 
Templemore  de  trop  ?" 

"  Not  at  all ;  I  have  a  sincere  regard  for  Temple- 
more,  and  should  be  sorry  to  see  him  leave  us." 

"  And  yet  I  think  it  singular  a  man  of  his  habits 
should  be  rusticating  among  these  hills,  when  I  know 
that  he  is  expected  to  look  at  the  Canadas,  with  a  view 
to  report  their  actual  condition  at  home." 

"  Is  Sir  George  really  entrusted  with  a  commission 
of  that  sort?"  inquired 'Paul,  with  interest. 

"Not  with  any  positive  commission,  perhaps,  for 
none  was  necessary.  Templemore  is  a  rich  fellow,  and 
has  no  need  of  appointments;  but,  it  is  hoped  and 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  289 

understood,  that  he  will  look  at  the  provinces,  and 
report  their  condition  to  the  government.  I  dare  say 
he  will  not  be  impeached  for  his  negligence,  though  it 
may  occasion  surprise." 

"Good  night,  Ducie;  Templemore  prefers  a  wigwam 
to  your  walled  Quebec,  and  7iatives  to  colonists ;  that 
's  all." 

In  a  minute,  Paul  was  at  the  door  of  John  Effingham's 
room,  where  he  again  tapped,  and  was  again  told  to 
enter. 

"  Ducie  has  not  forgotten  my  request,  and  this  is  the 
secretary  that  contains  poor  Mr.  Monday's  papers,"  he 
remarked,  as  he  laid  his  load  on  a  toilet-table,  speak 
ing  in  a  way  to  show  that  the  visit  was  expected. 
"  We  have,  indeed,  neglected  this  duty  too  long,  and 
it  is  to  be  hoped  no  injustice,  or  wrong  to  any,  will  be 
the  consequence." 

"  Is  that  the  package  ?"  demanded  John  Effingham, 
extending  a  hand  to  receive  a  bundle  of  papers  that 
Paul  had  taken  from  the  secretary.  "  We  will  break  the 
seals  this  moment,  and  ascertain  what  ought  to  be  done, 
before  we  sleep." 

"  These  are  papers  of  my  own,  and  very  precious 
are  they,"  returned  the  young  man,  regarding  them  a 
moment,  with  interest,  before  he  laid  them  on  the  toi 
let.  "  Here  are  the  papers  of  Mr.  Monday." 

John  Effingham  received  the  package  from  his  young 
friend,  placed  the  lights  conveniently  on  the  table,  put 
on  his  spectacles,  and  invited  Paul  to  be  seated.  The 
gentlemen  were  placed  opposite  each  other,  the  duty 
of  breaking  the  seals,  and  first  casting  an  eye  at  the 
contents  of  the  different  documents,  devolving,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  on  the  senior  of  the  two,  who,  in 
truth,  had  alone  been  entrusted  with  it. 

"  Here  is  something  signed  by  poor  Monday  himself, 

in  the  way  of  a  general  certificate,"  observed  John 

Effingham,    who    first    read    the    paper,    and    then 

handed  it  to  Paul.    It  was,  in  form,  an  unsealed  letter ; 

25 


290  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

and  it  was  addressed  "  to  all  whom  it  may  concern." 
The  certificate  itself  was  in  the  following  words : 

"  I,  John  Monday,  do  declare  and  certify,  that  all  the 
accompanying  letters  and  documents  are  genuine  and 
authentic.  Jane  Dowse,  to  whom  and  from  whom, 
are  so  many  letters,  was  my  late  mother,  she  having 
intermarried  with  Peter  Dowse,  the  man  so  often 
named,  and  who  led  her  into  acts  for  which  I  know  she 
has  since  been  deeply  repentant.  In  committing  these 
papers  to  me,  my  poor  mother  left  me  the  sole  judge 
of  the  course  I  was  to  take,  and  I  have  put  them  in 
this  form,  in  order  that  they  may  yet  do  good,  should 
I  be  called  suddenly  away.  All  depends  on  discovering 
who  the  person  called  Bright  actually  is,  for  he  was 
never  known  to  my  mother,  by  any  other  name.  She 
knows  him  to  have  been  an  Englishman,  however,  and 
thinks  he  was,  or  had  been,  an  upper  servant  in  a  gen- , 
tleman's  family.  JOHN  MONDAY." 

This  paper  was  dated  several  years  back,  a  sign  that 
the  disposition  to  do  right  had  existed  some  time  in  Mr. 
Monday ;  and  all  the  letters  and  other  papers  had  been 
carefully  preserved.  The  latter  also  appeared  to  be  re 
gularly  numbered,  a  precaution  that  much  aided  the  in 
vestigations  of  the  two  gentlemen.  The  original  letters 
spoke  for  themselves,  and  the  copies  had  been  made 
in  a  clear,  strong,  mercantile  hand,  and  with  the  me 
thod  of  one  accustomed  to  business.  In  short,  so  far 
as  the  contents  of  the  different  papers  would  allow, 
nothing  was  wanting  to  render  the  whole  distinct  and 
intelligible. 

John  Effingham  read  the  paper  No.  1,  with  delibe 
ration,  though  not  aloud ;  arid  when  he  had  done,  he 
handed  it  to  his  young  friend,  coolly  remarking — 

"  That  is  the  production  of  a  deliberate  villain." 

Paul  glanced  his  eye  over  the  document,  which  was 
an  original  letter  signed,  *  David  Bright,'  and  addressed 
to  *  Mrs.  Jane  Dowse.'  It  was  written  with  exceeding 
art,  made  many  professions  of  friendship,  spoke  of  the 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  291 

writer's  knowledge  of  the  woman's  friends  in  England, 
and  of  her  first  husband  in  particular,  and  freely  pro 
fessed  the  writer's  desire  to  serve  her,  while  it  also  con 
tained  several  ambiguous  allusions  to  certain  means 
of  doing  so,  which  should  be  revealed  whenever  the 
person  to  whom  the  letter  was  addressed  should  dis 
cover  a  willingness  to  embark  in  the  undertaking. 
This  letter  was  dated  Philadelphia,  was  addressed  to 
one  in  New- York,  and  it  was  old. 

"  This  is,  indeed,  a  rare  specimen  of  villany,"  said 
Paul,  as  he  laid  down  the  paper,  "  and  has  been  writ 
ten  in  some  such  spirit  as  that  employed  by  the  devil 
when  he  tempted  our  common  mother.  I  think  I  never 
read  a  better  specimen  of  low,  wily,  cunning." 

"And,  judging  by  all  that  we  already  know,  it 
would  seem  to  have  succeeded.  In  this  letter  you  will 
find  the  gentleman  a  little  more  explicit;  and  but  a 
little ;  though  he  is  evidently  encouraged  by  the  inte 
rest  and  curiosity  betrayed  by  the  woman  in  this  copy 
of  the  answer  to  his  first  epistle." 

Paul  read  the  letter  just  named,  and  then  he  laid 
it  down  to  wait  for  the  next,  which  was  still  in  the 
hands  of  his  companion. 

"  This  is  likely  to  prove  a  history  of  unlawful  love, 
and  of  its  miserabjg  consequences,"  said  John  Effing- 
ham  in  his  cool  manner,  as  he  handed  the  answers  to 
letter  No.  1,  and  letter  No.  2,  to  Paul.  "  The  world  is 
full  of  such  unfortunate  adventures,  and  I  should  think 
the  parties  English,  by  a  hint  or  two  you  will  find  in 
this  very  honest  and  conscientious  communication. 
Strongly  artificial,  social  and  political  distinctions  ren 
der  expedients  of  this  nature  more  frequent,  perhaps, 
in  Great  Britain,  than  in  any  other  country.  Youth  is 
the  season  of  the  passions,  and  many  a  man  in  the 
thoughtlessness  of  that  period  lays  the  foundation  of 
bitter  regret  in  after  life." 

As  John  Effingham  raised  his  eyes,  in  the  act  of  ex 
tending  his  hand  towards  his  companion,  he  perceived 


292  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

that  the  fresh  ruddy  hue  of  his  embrowned  cheek  deep 
ened,  until  the  colour  diffused  itself  over  the  whole  of 
his  fine  brow.  At  first  an  unpleasant  suspicion  flashed 
on  Jotn  Effingham,  and  he  admitted  it  with  regret,  for 
Eve  and  her  future  happiness  had  got  to  be  closely 
associated,  in  his  mind,  with  the  character  and  conduct 
of  the  young  man ;  but  when  Paul  took  the  papers, 
steadily,  and  by  an  effort  seemed  to  subdue  all  unplea 
sant  feelings,  the  calm  dignity  with  which  he  read 
them  completely  effaced  the  disagreeable  distrust.  It 
was  then  John  Effingham  remembered  that  he  had 
once  believed  Paul  himself  might  be  the  fruits  of  the 
heartless  indiscretion  he  condemned.  Commiseration 
and  sympathy  instantly  took  the  place  of  the  first  im 
pression,  and  he  was  so  much  absorbed  with  these  feel 
ings  that  he  had  not  taken  up  the  letter  which  was  to 
follow,  when  Paul  laid  down  the  paper  he  had  last 
been  required  to  read. 

"  This  does,  indeed,  sir,  seem  to  foretell  one  of  those 
painful  histories  of  unbridled  passion,  with  the  still  more 
painful  consequences,"  said  the  young  man  with  the 
steadiness  of  one  who  was  unconscious  of  having  a 
personal  connexion  with  any  events  of  a  nature  so 
unpleasant.  "  Let  us  examine  farther." 

John  Effingham  felt  emboldened  by  these  encou 
raging  signs  of  unconcern,  and  he  read  the  succeeding 
letters  aloud,  so  that  they  learned  their  contents  simul 
taneously.  The  next  six  or  eight  communications 
betrayed  nothing  distinctly,  beyond  the  fact  that  the 
child  which  formed  the  subject  of  the  whole  corres 
pondence,  was  to  be  received  by  Peter  Dowse  and  his 
wife,  and  to  be  retained  as  their  own  offspring,  for  the 
consideration  of  a  considerable  sum,  \vith  on  addition 
al  engagement  to  pay  an  annuity.  It  appeared  by  these 
letters  also,  that  the  child,  which  was  hypocritically 
alluded  to  under  the  name  of  the  *  pet,'  had  been  ac 
tually  transferred  to  the  keeping  of  Jane  Dowse,  and 
that  several  years  passed,  after  this  arrangement,  be- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  293 

fore  the  correspondence  terminated.  Most  of  the 
later  letters  referred  to  the  payment  of  the  annuity, 
although  they  all  contained  cold  inquiries  after  the 
*  pet,'  and  answers  so  vague  and  general,  as  sufficiently 
to  prove  that  the  term  was  singularly  misapplied.  In 
the  whole,  there  were  some  thirty  or  forty  letters,  each 
of  which  had  been  punctually  answered,  and  their  dates 
covered  a  space  of  near  twelve  years.  The  perusal 
of  all  these  papers  consumed  more  than  an  hour,  and 
when  John  Effingham  laid  his  spectacles  on  the  table, 
the  village  clock  had  struck  the  hour  of  midnight. 

"  As  yet,"  he  observed,  "  we  have  learned  little  more 
than  the  fact,  that  a  child  was  made  to  take  a  false 
character,  without  possessing  any  other  clue  to  the 
circumstances  than  is  given  in  the  names  of  the  par 
ties,  all  of  whom  are  evidently  obscure,  and  one  of 
the  most  material  of  whom,  we  are  plainly  told,  must 
have  borne  a  fictitious  name.  Even  poor  Monday,  in 
possession  of  so  much  collateral  testimony  that  we 
want,  could  not  have  known  what  was  the  precise 
injustice  done,  if  any,  or,  certainly,  with  the  intentions 
he  manifests,  he  would  not  have  left  that  important 
particular  in  the  dark." 

"  This  is  likely  to  prove  a  complicated  affair,"  re 
turned  Paul,  "  and  it  is  not  very  clear  that  we  can  be 
of  any  immediate  service.  As  you  are  probably  fa 
tigued,  we  may  without  impropriety  defer  the  further 
examination  to  another  time." 

To  this  John  Effingham  assented,  and  Paul,  during 
the  short  conversation  that  followed,  brought  the  secre 
tary  from  the  toilet  to  the  table,  along  with  the  bundle 
of  important  papers  that  belonged  to  himself,  to  which 
he  had  alluded,  and  busied  himself  in  replacing  the 
whole  in  the  drawer  from  which  they  had  been  taken. 

"  All  the  formalities  about  the  seals,  that  we  observed 
when  poor  Monday  gave  us  the  packet,  would  seem 
to  be  unnecessary,"  he  remarked,  while  thus  occupied, 
"  and  it  will  probably  be  sufficient  if  I  leave  the  secre 
tary  in  your  room,  and  keep  the  keys  myself." 
25* 


294  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

4<  One  never  knows,"  returned  John  Effingham,  with 
the  greater  caution  of  experience  and  age.  "  We 
have  not  read  all  the  papers,  and  there  are  wax  and 
lights  before  you ;  each  has  his  watch  and  seal,  and  it 
will  be  the  work  of  a  minute  only,  to  replace  every 
thing  as  we  left  the  package,  originally.  When  this 
is  done,  you  may  leave  the  secretary,  or  remove  it,  at 
your  own  pleasure." 

"  I  will  leave  it ;  for,  though  it  contains  so  much 
that  I  prize,  and  which  is  really  of  great  importance 
to  myself,  it  contains  nothing  for  which  I  shall  have 
immediate  occasion." 

"  In  that  case,  it  were  better  that  I  place  the  pack 
age  in  which  we  have  a  common  interest  in  an  ar- 
moire,  or  in  my  secretary,  and  that  you  keep  your 
precious  effects  more  immediately  under  your  own 
eye." 

"  It  is  immaterial,  unless  the  case  will  inconve 
nience  you,  for  I  do  not  know  that  I  am  not  happier 
when  it  is  out  of  my  sight,  so  long  as  I  feel  certain  of 
its  security,  than  when  it  is  constantly  before  my  eyes." 

Paul  said  this  with  a  forced  smile,  and  there 
was  a  sadness  in  his  countenance  that  excited  the 
sympathy  of  his  companion.  The  latter,  however, 
merely  bowed  his  assent,  and  the  papers  were  re 
placed,  and  the  secretary  was  locked  and  deposited 
in  an  armoire,  in  silence.  Paul  was  then  about  to  wish 
the  other  good  night,  when  John  Effingham  seized  his 
hand,  &nd  by  a  gentle  effort  induced  him  to  resume 
his  seat.  An  embarrassing,  but  short  pause  succeeded, 
when  the  latter  spoke. 

"  We  have  suffered  enough  in  company,  and  have 
seen  each  other  in  situations  of  sufficient  trial  to  be 
friends,"  he  said.  "  I  should  feel  mortified,  did  I  believe 
you  could  think  me  influenced  by  an  improper  curi 
osity,  in  wishing  to  share  more  of  your  confidence 
than  you  are  perhaps  willing  to  bestow ;  I  trust 
you  will  attribute  to  its  right  motive  the  liberty  I  am 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  295 

now  taking.  Age  makes  some  difference  between  ur, 
and  the  sincere  and  strong  interest  I  feel  in  your  wel 
fare,  ought  to  give  me  a  small  claim  not  to  be  treated 
as  a  total  stranger.  So  jealous  and  watchful  has  this 
interest  been,  I  might  with  great  truth  call  it  affection, 
that  I  have  discovered  you  are  not  situated  exactly  as 
other  men  in  your  condition  of  life  are  situated,  and  I 
feel  persuaded  that  the  sympathy,  perhaps  the  advice, 
of  one  so  many  years  older  than  yourself,  might  be 
useful.  You  have  already  said  so  much  to  me,  on  the 
subject  of  your  personal  situation,  that  I  almost  feel  a 
right  to  ask  for  more." 

John  Effingham  uttered  this  in  his  mildest  and  most 
winning  manner ;  and  few  men  could  carry  with  them, 
on  such  an  occasion,  more  of  persuasion  in  their  voices 
and  looks.  Paul's  features  worked,  and  it  was  evident 
to  his  companion  that  he  was  moved,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  he  was  not  displeased. 

"  I  am  grateful,  deeply  grateful,  sir,  for  this  interest 
in  my  happiness,"  Paul  answered,  "  and  if  I  knew  the 
particular  points  on  which  you  feel  any  curiosity, 
there  is  nothing  that  I  can  desire  to  conceal.  Have 
the  further  kindness  to  question  me,  Mr.  Effingham, 
that  I  need  not  touch  on  things  you  do  not  care  to 
hear." 

"  All  that  really  concerns  your  welfare,  would  have 
interest  with  me.  You  have  been  the  agent  of  res 
cuing  not  only  myself,  but  those  whom  I  most  love, 
from  a  fate  worse  than  death ;  and,  a  childless  bach 
elor  myself,  I  have  more  than  once  thought  of  attempt 
ing  to  supply  the  places  of  those  natural  friends  that  I 
fear  you  have  lost.  Your  parents " 

"  Are  both  dead.  I  never  knew  either,"  said  Paul, 
who  spoke  huskily,  "  and  will  most  cheerfully  accept 
your  generous  offer,  if  you  will  allow  me  to  attach 
to  it  a  single  condition." 

"Beggars  must  not  be  choosers,"  returned  John 
Effingham,  "  and  if  you  will  allow  me  to  feel  this  inte- 


296  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

rest  in  you,  and  occasionally  to  share  in  the  confidence 
of  a  father;  I  shall  not  insist  on  any  unreasonable 
terms.  What  is  your  condition  ?' 

"  That  the  word  money  may  be  struck  out  of  our 
vocabulary,  and  that  you  leave  your  will  unaltered. 
Were  the  world  to  be  examined,  you  could  not  find  a 
worthier  or  a  lovelier  heiress,  than  the  one  you  have 
already  selected,  and  whom  Providence  itself  has 
given  you.  Compared  with  yourself,  I  am  not  rich , 
but  I  have  a  gentleman's  income,  and  as  I  shall  pro 
bably  never  marry,  it  will  suffice  for  all  my  wants." 

John  Effingham  was  more  pleased  than  he  cared  to 
express  with  this  frankness,  and  with  the  secret  sym 
pathy  that  had  existed  between  them ;  but  he  smiled 
at  the  injunction ;  for,  with  Eve's  knowledge,  and  her 
father's  entire  approbation,  he  had  actually  made  a 
codicil  to  his  will,  in  which  their  young  protector 
was  left  one  half  of  his  large  fortune. 

"  The  will  may  remain  untouched,  if  you  desire  it," 
he  answered,  evasively,  "  and  that  condition  is  disposed 
of.  I  am  glad  to  learn  so  directly  from  yourself,  what 
your  manner  of  living  and  the  reports  of  others  had 
prepared  me  to  hear,  that  you  are  independent.  This 
fact,  alone,  will  place  us  solely  on  our  mutual  esteem, 
and  render  the  friendship  that  I  hope  is  now  brought 
within  a  covenant,  if  not  now  first  established,  more 
equal  and  frank.  You  have  seen  much  of  the  world, 
Powis,  for  your  years  and  profession  ?" 

"  It  is  usual  to  think  that  men  of  my  profession  see 
much  of  the  world,  as  a  consequence  of  their  pur 
suits  ;  though  I  agree  with  you,  sir,  that  this  is  seeing 
the  world  only  in  a  very  limited  circle.  It  is  now 
several  years  since  circumstances,  I  might  almost  say 
the  imperative  order  of  one  whom  I  was  bound  to  obey, 
induced  me  to  resign,  and  since  that  time  I  have  done 
little  else  but  travel.  Owing  to  certain  adventitious 
causes,  I  have  enjoyed  an  access  to  European  society 
that  few  of  our  countrymen  possess,  and  I  hope  the 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  297 

advantage  has  not  been  entirely  thrown  away.  It  was 
as  a  traveller  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  that  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  first  meeting  with  Mr.  and  Miss  Effing- 
ham.  I  was  much  abroad,  even  as  a  child,  and  owe 
some  little  skill  in  foreign  languages  to  that  circum 
stance." 

"  So  my  cousin  has  informed  me.  You  have  set  the 
question  of  country  at  rest,  by  declaring  that  you  are 
an  American,  and  yet  I  find  you  have  English  rela 
tives.  Captain  Ducie,  I  believe,  is  a  kinsman?' 

"  He  is ;  we  are  sister's  children,  though  our  friend 
ship  has  not  always  been  such  as  the  connexion  would 
infer.  When  Ducie  and  myself  met  at  sea,  there  was 
an  awkwardness,  if  not  a  coolness,  in  the  interview, 
that,  coupled  with  my  sudden  return  to  England,  I  fear 
did  not  make  the  most  favourable  impression,  on  those 
who  witnessed  what  passed." 

"  We  had  confidence  in  your  principles,"  said  John 
Effingham,  with  a  frank  simplicity,  "  and,  though  the 
first  surmises  were  not  pleasant,  perhaps,  a  little  re 
flection  told  us  that  there  was  no  just  ground  for  sus 
picion." 

"  Ducie  is  a  fine,  manly  fellow,  and  has  a  seaman's 
generosity  and  sincerity.  I  had  last  parted  from  him 
on  the  field,  where  we  met  as  enemies ;  and  the  cir 
cumstance  rendered  the  unexpected  meeting  awkward. 
Our  wounds  no  longer  smarted,  it  is  true ;  but,  perhaps, 
we  both  felt  shame  and  sorrow  that  they  had  ever 
been  inflicted." 

"  It  should  be  a  very  serious  quarrel  that  could  arm 
sister's  children  against  each  other,"  said  John  Effing- 
ham,  gravely. 

"  I  admit  as  much.  But,  at  that  time,  Captain  Ducie 
was  not  disposed  to  admit  the  consanguinity,  and  the 
offence  grew  out  of  an  intemperate  resentment  of  some 
imputations  on  my  birth ;  between  two  military  men, 
the  issue  could  scarcely  be  avoided.  Ducie'  chal 
lenged,  and  I  was  not  then  in  the  humour  to  balk  him. 


29S  HOME    AS    POUND. 

A  couple  of  flesh-wounds  happily  terminated  the  affair. 
But  an  interval  of  three  years  had  enabled  my  enemy 
to  discover  that  he  had  not  done  me  justice ;  that  I  had 
been  causelessly  provoked  to  the  quarrel,  and  that  we 
ought  to  be  firm  friends.  The  generous  desire  to  make 
suitable  expiation,  urged  him  to  seize  the  first  occasion 
of  coming  to  America  that  offered;  and  when  or 
dered  to  chase  the  Montauk,  by  a  telegraphic  commu 
nication  from  London,  he  was  hourly  expecting  to  sail 
for  our  seas,  where  he  wished  to  come,  expressly  that 
we  might  meet.  You  will  judge,  therefore,  how  happy 
he  was  to  find  me  unexpectedly  in  the  vessel  that  con 
tained  his  principal  object  of  pursuit,  thus  killing,  as  it 
might  be,  two  birds  with  one  stone." 

"  And  did  he  carry  you  away  with  him,  with  any 
such  murderous  intention  ?"  demanded  John  Effingham, 
smiling. 

"By  no  means;  nothing  could  be  more  amicable 
than  Ducie  and  myself  got  to  be,  when  we  had  been 
a  few  hours  together  in  his  cabin.  As  often  happens, 
when  there  have  been  violent  antipathies  and  unreason 
able  prejudices,  a  nearer  view  of  each  other's  charac 
ter  and  motives  removed  every  obstacle ;  and  long  be 
fore  we  reached  England,  two  warmer  friends  could  not 
be  found,  or  a  more  frank  intercourse  between  rela 
tives  could  not  be  desired.  You  are  aware,  sir,  that 
our  English  cousins  do  not  often  view  their  cis-atlantic 
relatives  with  the  most  lenient  eyes." 

"  This  is  but  too  true,"  said  John  Effingham  proudly, 
though  his  lip  quivered  as  he  spoke,  "  and  it  is,  in  a 
great  measure,  the  fault  of  that  miserable  mental  bond 
age  which  has  left  this  country,  after  sixty  years  of 
nominal  independence,  so  much  at  the  mercy  of  a  hos 
tile  opinion.  It  is  necessary  that  we  respect  ourselves 
in  order  that  others  respect  us." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  sir,  entirely.  In  my  case,  how 
ever,  previous  injustice  disposed  my  relatives  to  re 
ceive  me  better,  perhaps,  than  might  otherwise  have 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  299 

been  the  case.  I  had  little  to  ask  in  the  way  of  for 
tune,  and  feeling  no  disposition  to  raise  a  question  that 
might  disturb  the  peerage  of  the  Ducies,  I  became  a 
favourite." 

"A  peerage ! — Both  your  parents,  then,  were  English?* 

"Neither,  I  believe;  but  the  connection  between 
the  two  countries  was  so  close,  that  it  can  occasion 
no  surprise  a  right  of  this  nature  should  have  passed 
into  the  colonies.  My  mother's  mother  became  the 
heiress  of  one  of  those  ancient  baronies,  that  pass  to 
the  heirs-general,  and,  in  consequence  of  the  deaths 
of  two  brothers,  these  rights,  which  however  were 
never  actually  possessed  by  any  of  the  previous  gene 
ration,  centered  in  my  mother  and  my  aunt.  The  for 
mer  being  dead,  as  was  contended,  without  issue " 

"You  forget  yourself!" 

"  Lawful  issue,"  added  Paul,  reddening  to  the  tem 
ples,  "  I  should  have  added — Mrs.  Ducie,  who  was 
married  to  the  younger  son  of  an  English  nobleman, 
claimed  and  obtained  the  rank.  My  pretension  would 
have  left  the  peerage  in  abeyance,  and  I  probably  owe 
some  little  of  the  opposition  I  found,  to  that  circum 
stance.  But,  after  Ducie's  generous  conduct,  I  could 
not  hesitate  about  joining  in  the  application  to  the 
crown,  that,  by  its  decision,  the  abeyance  might  be  de 
termined  in  favour  of  the  person  who  was  in  posses 
sion  ;  and  Lady  Dunluce  is  now  quietly  confirmed  in 
her  claim." 

"  There  are  many  young  men  in  this  country,  who 
would  cling  to  the  hopes  of  a  British  peerage  with 
greater  tenacity  !" 

"  It  is  probable  there  are ;  but  my  self-denial  is  not 
of  a  very  high  order,  for,  it  could  scarcely  be  expected 
the  English  ministers  would  consent  to  give  the  rank 
to  a  foreigner  who  did  not  hesitate  about  avowing  his 
principles  and  national  feelings.  I  shall  not  say  I  did 
not  covet  this  peerage,  for  it  would  be  supererogatory ; 
but  I  am  born  an  American,  and  will  die  an  American  ; 


300  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

and  an  American  who  swaggers  about  such  a  claim, 
is  like  the  daw  among  the  peacocks.  The  less  that  is 
said  about  it,  the  better." 

"  You  are  fortunate  to  have  escaped  the  journals, 
which,  most  probably,  would  have  begraced  you,  by 
elevating  you  at  once  to  the  rank  of  a  duke." 

"  Instead  of  which,  I  had  no  other  station  than  that 
of  a  dog  in  the  manger.  If  it  makes  my  aunt  happy 
to  be  called  Lady  Dunluce,  I  am  sure  she  is  welcome 
to  the  privilege ;  and  when  Ducie  succeeds  her,  as  will 
one  day  be  the  case,  an  excellent  fellow  will  be  a  peer 
of  England.  Voil&  tout!  You  are  the  only  country 
man,  sir,  to  whom  I  have  ever  spoken  of  the  circum 
stance,  and  with  you  I  trust  it  will  remain  a  secret." 

"  What !  am  I  precluded  from  mentioning  the  facts  in 
my  own  family?  I  am  not  the  only  sincere,  the  only 
warm  friend,  you  have  in  this  house,  Powis." 

"  In  that  respect,  I  leave  you  to  act  your  pleasure, 
my  dear  sir.  If  Mr.  Effingham  feel  sufficient  interest 
in  my  fortunes,  to  wish  to  hear  what  I  have  told  you, 
let  there  be  no  silly  mysteries, — or — or  Mademoiselle 
Viefville " 

"Or  Nanny  Sidley,  or  Annette,"  interrupted  John 
Effingham,  with  a  kind  smile.  "  Well,  trust  to  me  for 
that ;  but,  before  we  separate  for  the  night,  I  wish  to 
ascertain  beyond  question  one  other  fact,  although  the 
circumstances  you  have  stated  scarce  leave  a  doubt  of 
the  reply." 

"  I  understand  you,  sir,  and  did  not  intend  to  leave 
you  in  any  uncertainty  on  that  important  particular.  If 
there  can  be  a  feeling,  more  painful  than  all  others,  with 
a  man  of  any  pride,  it  is  to  distrust  the  purity  of  his 
mother.  Mine  was  beyond  reproach,  thank  God,  and 
so  it  was  most  clearly  established,  or  I  could  certainly 
have  had  no  legal  claim  to  the  peerage." 

"  Or  your  fortune — "  added  John  Effingham,  draw 
ing  a  long  breath,  like  one  suddenly  relieved  from  an 
unpleasant  suspicion. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  301 

"  My  fortune  comes  from  neither  parent,  but  from 
one  of  those  generous  dispositions,  or  caprices,  if  you 
will,  that  sometimes  induce  men  to  ad-opt  those  who 
are  alien  to  their  blood.  My  guardian  adopted  me, 
took  me  abroad  with  him,  placed  me,  quite  young,  in 
the  navy,  and  dying,  he  finally  left  me  all  he  possessed 
As  he  was  a  bachelor,  with  no  near  relative,  and  had 
been  the  artisan  of  his  own  fortune,  I  could  have  no 
hesitation  about  accepting  the  gift  he  so  liberally  be 
queathed.  It  was  coupled  with  the  condition  that  1 
should  retire  from  the  service,  travel  for  five  years, 
return  home,  and  marry.  There  is  no  silly  forfeiture 
exacted  in  either  case,  but  such  is  the  general  course 
solemnly  advised  by  a  man  who  showed  himself  my 
true  friend  for  so  many  years." 

"  I  envy  him  the  opportunity  he  enjoyed  of  serving 
you.  I  hope  he  would  have  approved  of  your  national 
pride,  for  I  believe  we  must  put  that  at  the  bottom  of 
your  disinterestedness,  in  the  affair  of  the  peerage." 

"  He  would,  indeed,  although  he  never  knew  any 
thing  of  the  claim  which  arose  out  of  the  death  of  the 
two  lords  who  preceded  my  aunt,  and  who  were  the 
brothers  of  my  grandmother.  My  guardian  was  in  all 
respects  a  man,  and,  in  nothing  more,  than  in  a  manly 
national  pride.  While  abroad  a  decoration  was  offered 
him,  and  he  declined  it  with  the  character  and  dignity 
of  one  who  felt  that  distinctions  which  his  country  re 
pudiated,  every  gentleman  belonging  to  that  country 
ought  to  reject ;  and  yet  he  did  it  with  a  respectful 
gratitude  for  the  compliment,  that  was  due  to  the  go 
vernment  from  which  the  offer  came." 

"  I  almost  envy  that  man,"  said  John  Effingham, 
with  warmth.  "  To  have  appreciated  you,  Powis,  was 
a  mark  of  a  high  judgment ;  but  it  seems  he  properly 
appreciated  himself,  his  country,  and  human  nature." 

"And  yet  he  was  little  appreciated  in  his  turn.   That 
man  passed  years  in  one  of  our  largest  towns,  of  no 
more  apparent  account  among  its  population  than  any 
26 


302  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

one  of  its  commoner  spirits,  and  of  not  half  as  much 
as  one  of  its  bustling  brokers,  or  jobbers." 

"  In  that  there  is  nothing  surprising.  The  class  of 
the  chosen  few  is  too  small  every  where,  to  be  very 
numerous  at  any  given  point,  in  a  scattered  population 
like  that  of  America.  The  broker  will  as  naturally 
appreciate  the  broker,  as  the  dog  appreciates  the  dog, 
or  the  wolf  the  wolf.  Least  of  all  is  the  manliness 
you  have  named,  likely  to  be  valued  among  a  people 
who  have  been  put  into  men's  clothes  before  they  are 
out  of  leading-strings.  I  am  older  than  you,  my  dear 
Paul,"  it  was  the  first  time  John  Effingham  ever 
used  so  familiar  an  appellation,  and  the  young  man 
thought  it  sounded  kindly — "  I  am  older  than  you,  my 
dear  Paul,  and  will  venture  to  tell  you  an  important 
fact  that  may  hereafter  lessen  some  of  your  own  mor 
tifications.  In  most  nations  there  is  a  high  standard 
to  which  man  at  least  affects  to  look ;  and  acts  are  ex 
tolled  and  seemingly  appreciated,  for  their  naked 
merits.  Little  of  this  exists  in  America,  where  no 
man  is  much  praised  for  himself,  but  for  the  purposes 
of  party,  or  to  feed  national  vanity.  In  the  country 
in  which,  of  all  others,  political  opinion  ought  to  be  the 
freest,  it  is  the  most  persecuted,  and  the  community- 
character  of  the  nation  induces  every  man  to  think  he 
has  a  right  of  property  in  all  its  fame.  England  ex 
hibits  a  great  deal  of  this  weakness  and  injustice,  which, 
it  is  to  be  feared,  is  a  vicious  fruit  of  liberty ;  for  it  is 
certain  that  the  sacred  nature  of  opinion  is  most  ap 
preciated  in  those  countries  in  which  it  has  the  least 
efficiency.  We  are  constantly  deriding  those  govern 
ments  which  fetter  opinion,  and  yet  I  know  of  no  na 
tion  in  which  the  expression  of  opinion  is  so  certain  to 
attract  persecution  and  hostility  as  our  own,  though  it 
may  be,  and  is,  in  one  sense,  free." 

"  This  arises  from  its  potency.  Men  quarrel  about 
opinion  here,  because  opinion  rules.  It  is  but  one  mode 
of  struggling  for  power.  But  to  return  to  my  guar- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  303 

dian ;  he  was  a  man  to  think  and  act  for  himself,  and 
as  far  from  the  magazine  and  newspaper  existence  that 
most  Americans,  in  a  moral  sense,  pass,  as  any  man 
could  be." 

"  It  is  indeed  a  newspaper  and  magazine  existence,'* 
said  John  Effingham,  smiling  at  Paul's  terms,  "to 
know  life  only  through  such  mediums !  It  is  as  bad  as 
the  condition  of  those  English  who  form  their  notions 
of  society  from  novels  written  by  men  and  women 
who  have  no  access  to  it,  and  from  the  records  of  the 
court  journal.  I  thank  you  sincerely,  Mr.  Powis,  for 
this  confidence,  which  has  not  been  idly  solicited  on 
my  part,  and  which  shall  not  be  abused.  At  no  dis 
tant  day  we  will  break  the  seals  again,  and  renew 
our  investigations  into  this  affair  of  the  unfortunate 
Monday,  which  is  not  yet,  certainly,  very  promising 
in  the  way  of  revelations." 

The  gentlemen  shook  hands  cordially,  and  Paul, 
lighted  by  his  companion,  withdrew.  When  the  young 
man  was  at  the  door  of  his  own  room,  he  turned,  and 
saw  John  Effingham  following  him  with  his  eye.  The 
latter  then  renewed  the  good  night,  with  one  of  those 
winning  smiles  that  rendered  his  face  so  brilliantly 
handsome,  and  each  retired. 


CHAPTEE  XIX. 


'  Item,  a  capon,  2s.  2d. 
Item,  sauce,  4e?. 
Item,  sack,  two  gallons,  5s.  8d. 
Item,  bread,  a  half-penny." 

SHAKSPEARE. 


THE  next  day  John  Effingham  made  no  allusion  to 
the  conversation  of  the  previous  night,  though  the 
squeeze  of  the  hand  he  gave  Paul,  when  they  met,  was 


304  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

an  assurance  that  nothing  was  forgotten.  As  he  had 
a  secret  pleasure  in  obeying  any  injunction  of  Eve's, 
the  young  man  himself  sought  Captain  Truck,  even 
before  they  had  breakfasted,  and,  as  he  had  made  an 
acquaintance  with  *  the  commodore,'  on  the  lake,  pre 
viously  to  the  arrival  of  the  Effinghams,  that  worthy 
was  summoned,  and  regularly  introduced  to  the  honest 
ship -master.  The  meeting  between  these  two  distin 
guished  men  was  grave,  ceremonious  and  dignified, 
each  probably  feeling  that  he  was  temporarily  the 
guardian  of  a  particular  portion  of  an  element  that 
was  equally  dear  to  both.  After  a  few  minutes  passed, 
as  it  might  be,  in  the  preliminary  points  of  etiquette, 
a  better  feeling  and  more  confidence  was  established, 
and  it  was  soon  settled  that  they  should  fish  in  com 
pany,  the  rest  of  the  day ;  Paul  promising  to  row  the 
ladies  out  on  the  lake,  and  to  join  them  in  the  course 
of  the  afternoon. 

As  the  party  quitted  the  breakfast-table,  Eve  took 
an  occasion  to  thank  the  young  man  for  his  attention 
to  their  common  friend,  who,  it  was  reported,  had 
taken  his  morning's  repast  at  an  early  hour,  and  was 
already  on  the  lake,  the  day  by  this  time  having  ad 
vanced  within  two  hours  of  noon. 

"I  have  dared  even  to  exceed  your  instructions, 
Miss  Effingham,"  said  Paul,  "  for  I  have  promised  the 
Captain  to  endeavour  to  persuade  you,  and  as  many 
of  the  ladies  as  possible,  to  trust  yourselves  to  my  sea 
manship,  and  to  submit  to  be  rowed  out  to  the  spot 
where  we  shall  find  him  and  his  friend  the  commodore 
riding  at  anchor." 

"  An  engagement  that  my  influence  shall  be  used  to 
see  fulfilled.  Mrs.  Bloomfield  has  already  expressed 
a  desire  to  go  on  the  Otsego-Water,  and  I  make  no 
doubt  I  shall  find  other  companions.  Once  more  let 
me  thank  you  for  this  little  attention,  for  I  too  well 
know  your  tastes,  not  to  understand  that  you  migh. 
find  a  more  agreeable  ward." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  305 

"  Upon  my  word,  I  feel  a  sincere  regard  for  our  old 
Captain,  and  could  often  wish  for  no  better  companion. 
Were  he,  however,  as  disagreeable  as  I  find  him,  in 
truth,  pleasant  and  frank,  your  wishes  would  conceal 
all  his  faults." 

"  You  have  learned,  Mr.  Powis,  that  small  atten 
tions  are  as  much  remembered  as  important  services, 
and  after  having  saved  our  lives,  wish  to  prove  that 
you  can  discharge  les  petits  devoirs  socials,  as  well  as 
perform  great  deeds.  I  trust  you  will  persuade  Sir 
George  Templemore  to  be  of  our  party,  and  at  four 
we  shall  be  ready  to  accompany  you ;  until  then  I  am 
contracted  to  a  gossip  with  Mrs.  Bloomfield  in  her 
dressing-room." 

We  shall  now  leave  the  party  on  the  land,  and  fol 
low  those  who  have  already  taken  boat,  or  the  fisher 
men.  The  beginning  of  the  intercourse  between  the 
salt-water  navigator  and  his  fresh-water  companion 
was  again  a  little  constrained  and  critical.  Their  pro 
fessional  terms  agreed  as  ill  as  possible,  for  when  the 
Captain  used  the  expression  '  ship  the  oars,'  the  com 
modore  understood  just  the  reverse  of  what  it  had  been 
intended  to  express ;  and,  once,  when  he  told  his  com 
panion  to  '  give  way,'  the  latter  took  the  hint  so  literally 
as  actually  to  cease  rowing.  All  these  professional 
niceties  induced  the  worthy  ship-master  to  undervalue 
his  companion,  who,  in  the  main,  was  very  skilful  in 
his  particular  pursuit,  though  it  was  a  skill  that  he 
exerted  after  the  fashions  of  his  own  lake,  and  not 
after  the  fashions  of  the  ocean.  Owing  to  several 
contre-tems  of  this  nature,  by  the  time  they  reached 
the  fishing-ground  the  Captain  began  to  entertain  a 
feeling  for  the  commodore,  that  ill  comported  with  the 
deference  due  to  his  titular  rank. 

"  I  have  come  out  with  you,  commodore,"  said  Cap 
tain  Truck,  when  they  had  got  to  their  station,  and 
laying  a  peculiar  emphasis  on  the  appellation  he  used, 
"in  order  to  enjoy  myself,  and  you  will  confer  an 
26* 


306  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

especial  favour  on  me  by  not  using  such  phrases  as 
*  cable-rope,'  « casting  anchor,'  and  *  titivating.'  As 
for  the  two  first,  no  seaman  ever  uses  them;  and  1 
never  heard  such  a  word  on  board  a  ship,  as  the  last. 
D e,  sir,  if  I  believe  it  is  to  be  found  in  the  dic 
tionary,  even." 

"  You  amaze  me,  sir  !  *  Casting  anchor,'  and  *  Gable- 
rope'  are  both  Bible  phrases,  and  they  must  be  right." 

"  That  follows  by  no  means,  commodore,  as  I  have 
some  reason  to  know ;  for  my  father  having  been  a 
parson,  and  I  being  a  seaman,  wre  may  be  said  to  have 
the  whole  subject,  as  it  were,  in  the  family.  St.  Paul — 
you  have  heard  of  such  a  man  as  St.  Paul,  commo 
dore  ?— " 

"  I  know  him  almost  by  heart,  Captain  Truck ;  but 
St.  Peter  and  St.  Andrew  were  the  men  most  after  my 
heart.  Ours  is  an  ancient  calling,  sir,  and  in  those  two 
instances  you  see  to  what  a  fisherman  can  rise.  I  do 
not  remember  to  have  ever  heard  of  a  sea-captain  who 
was  converted  into  a  saint." 

"  Ay,  ay,  there  is  always  too  much  to  do  on  board 
ship  to  have  time  to  be  much  more  than  a  beginner  in 
religion.  There  was  my  mate,  v'y'ge  before  last,  Tom 
Leach,  who  is  now  master  of  a  ship  of  his  own,  had 
he  been  brought  up  to  it  properly,  he  would  have  made 
as  conscientious  a  parson  as  did  his  grandfather  be 
fore  him.  .  Such  a  man  would  have  been  a  seaman,  as 
well  as  a  parson.  I  have  little  to  say  against  St.  Peter 
or  St.  Andrew,  but,  in  my  judgment,  they  were  none 
the  better  saints  for  having  been  fishermen ;  and,  if  the 
truth  were  known,  I  dare  say  they  were  at  the  bottom 
of  introducing  such  lubberly  phrases  into  the  Bible,  as 
1  casting-anchor,'  and  '  cable-rope." 

"  Pray,  sir,"  asked  the  commodore,  with  dignity, 
"  what  are  you  in  the  practice  of  saying,  when  yon 
speak  of  such  matters ;  for,  to  be  frank  with  you,  we 
always  use  these  terms  on  these  lakes." 

"  Ay,  ay,  there  is  a  fresh- water  smell  about  them. 


HOME   AS   FOUND.  307 

We  say  '  anchor,'  or  '  let  go  the  anchor,'  or  '  dropped 
the  anchor,'  or  some  such  reasonable  expression,  and 
not  *  cast  anchor,'  as  if  a  bit  of  iron,  weighing  two  or 
three  tons,  is  to  be  jerked  about  like  a  stone  big 
enough  to  kill  a  bird  with.  As  for  the  '  cable-rope,'  as 
you  call  it,  we  say  the  *  cable,'  or  *  the  chain,'  or  *  the 
ground  tackle,'  "according  to  reason  and  circum 
stances.  You  never  hear  a  real  l  salt'  flourishing  his 

*  cable-ropes,'   and  his    *  casting-anchors,'  which   are 
altogether  too  sentimental  and  particular  for  his  man 
ner  of  speaking.     As  for  *  ropes,'  I  suppose  you  have 
not  got  to  be  a  commodore,  and  need  being  told  how 
many  there  are  in  a  ship." 

"  I  do  not  pretend  to  have  counted  them,  but  I  have 
seen  a  ship,  sir,  and  one  under  full  sail,  too,  and  I 
know  there  were  as  many  ropes  about  her  as  there 
are  pines  on  the  Vision." 

"  Are  there  more  than  seven  of  these  trees  on  your 
mountain  ?  for  that  is  just  the  number  of  ropes  in  a 
merchant-man;  though  a  man-of-war's-man  counts 
one  or  two  more." 

"  You  astonish  me,  sir !  But  seven  ropes  in  a  ship  ? 
— I  should  have  said  there  are  seven  hundred !" 

"  I  dare  say,  I  dare  say ;  that  is  just  the  way  in 
which  a  landsman  pretends  to  criticise  a  vessel.  As 
for  the  ropes,  I  will  now  give  you  their  names,  and 
then  you  can  lay  athwart  hawse  of  these  canoe 
gentry,  by  the  hour,  and  teach  them  rigging  and 
modesty,  both  at  the  same  time.  In  the  first  place," 
continued  the  captain,  jerking  at  his  line,  and  then 
beginning  to  count  on  his  fingers  —  "There  is  the 

*  man-rope ;'  then  come  the  *  bucket-rope,'  the  *  tiller- 
rope,'  the  'bolt-rope,'  the  ' foot-rope,'  the  ' top-rope,' 
and  the  « limber-rope.'    I  have  followed  the  seas,  now, 
more  than  half  a  century,  and  never  yet  heard  of  a 
'  cable-rope,'  from  any  one  who  could  hand,  reef,  and 
steer." 

"  Well,  sir,  every  man  to  his  trade,"  said  the  com- 


308  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

modore,  who  just  then  pulled  in  a  fine  pickerel,  which 
was  the  third  he  had  taken,  while  his  companion 
rejoiced  in  no  more  than  a  few  fruitless  bites.  "  You 
are  more  expert  in  ropes  than  in  lines,  it  would 
seem.  I  shall  not  deny  your  experience  and  know 
ledge;  but  in  the  way  of  fishing,  you  will  at  least 
allow  that  the  sea  is  no  great  school.  I  dare  say, 
now,  if  you  were  to  hook  the  '  sogdollager,'  we  should 
have  you  jumping  into  the  lake  to  get  rid  of  him. 
Quite  probably,  sir,  you  never  before  heard  of  that 
celebrated  fish?" 

Notwithstanding  the  many  excellent  qualities  of 
Captain  Truck,  he  had  a  weakness  that  is  rather 
peculiar  to  a  class  of  men,  who,  having  seen  so  much 
of  this  earth,  are  unwilling  to  admit  they  have  not  seen 
it  all.  The  little  brush  in  which  he  was  now  engaged 
with  the  commodore,  he  conceived  due  to  his  own  dig 
nity,  and  his  motive  was  duly  to  impress  his  compa 
nion  with  his  superiority,  which  being  fairly  ad 
mitted,  he  would  have  been  ready  enough  to  ac 
knowledge  that  the  other  understood  pike-fishing  much 
better  than  himself.  But  it  was  quite  too  early  in  the 
discussion  to  make  any  such  avowal,  and  the  super 
cilious  remark  of  the  commodore's  putting  him  on  his 
mettle,  he  was  ready  to  affirm  that  he  had  eaten  *  sog- 
dollagers'  for  breakfast,  a  month  at  a  time,  had  it 
been  necessary. 

"  Pooh !  pooh !  man,"  returned  the  captain,  with  an 
air  of  cool  indifference,  "  you  do  not  surely  fancy  that 
you  have  any  thing  in  a  lake  like  this,  that  is  not  to  be 
found  in  the  ocean !  If  you  were  to  see  a  whale's 
flukes  thrashing  your  puddle,  every  cruiser  among  you 
would  run  for  a  port ;  and  as  for  *  sogdollagers,'  we 
think  little  of  them  in  salt-water;  the  flying-fish,  or 
even  the  dry  dolphin,  being  much  the  best  eating." 

"  Sir,"  said  the  commodore,  with  some  heat,  and  a 
great  deal  of  emphasis,  "  there  is  but  one  '  sogdollager' 
in  the  world,  and  he  is  in  this  lake.  No  man  has  ever 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  309 

seen  him,  but  my  predecessor,  the  « Admiral/  and  my 
self." 

"  Bah !"  ejaculated  the  captain,  "  they  are  as  plenty 
as  soft  clams,  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  Egyptians 
use  them  as  a  pan-fish.  In  the  East,  they  catch  them 
to  bait  with,  for  hallibut,  and  other  middling  sized 
creatures,  that  are  particular  about  their  diet.  It  is  a 
good  fish,  I  own,  as  is  seen  in  this  very  circumstance." 
"  Sir,"  repeated  the  commodore,  flourishing  his  hand, 
and  waxing  warm  with  earnestness,  "  there  is  but 
one  '  sogdollager'  in  the  universe,  and  that  is  in  Lake 
Otsego.  A  *  sogdollager'  is  a  salmon  trout,  and  not  a 
species ;  a  sort  of  father  to  all  the  salmon  trout  in  this 
part  of  the  world ;  a  scaly  patriarch." 

'•  I  make  no  doubt  your  *  sogdollager'  is  scaly  enough ; 
but  what  is  the  use  in  wasting  words  about  such  a 
trifle  ?  A  whale  is  the  only  fish  fit  to  occupy  a  gen 
tleman's  thoughts.  As  long  as  I  have  been  at  sea,  I 
have  never  witnessed  the  taking  of  more  than  three 
whales." 

This  allusion  happily  preserved  the  peace ;  for,  if 
there  were  any  thing  in  the  world  for  which  the  com 
modore  entertained  a  profound,  but  obscure  reverence, 
it  was  for  a  whale.  He  even  thought  better  of  a  man 
for  having  actually  seen  one,  gambolling  in  the  free 
dom  of  the  ocean ;  and  his  mind  became  suddenly 
oppressed  by  the  glory  of  a  mariner,  who  had  passed 
his  life  among  such  gigantic  animals.  Shoving  back 
his  cap,  the  old  man  gazed  steadily  at  the  captain  a 
minute,  and  all  his  displeasure  about  the  *  sogdollagers' 
vanished,  though,  in  his  inmost  mind,  he  set  down  all 
that  the  other  had  told  him  on  that  particular  subject, 
as  so  many  parts  of  a  regular  '  fish  story.' 

"  ( Captain  Truck,"  he  said,  with  solemnity,  "  I  ac 
knowledge  myself  to  be  but  an  ignorant  and  inexpe 
rienced  man,  one  who  has  passed  his  life  on  this  lake, 
which,  broad  and  beautiful  as  it  is,  must  seem  a  pond 
in  the  eyes  of  a  seaman  like  yourself,  who  have  pass 
ed  your  days  on  the  A'lantic " 


310  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

"  Atlantic  !"  interrupted  the  captain  contemptuously, 
"  I  should  have  but  a  poor  opinion  of  myself,  had  1 
seen  nothing  but  the  Atlantic !  Indeed,  I  never  can 
believe  I  am  at  sea  at  all,  on  the  Atlantic,  the  pass 
ages  between  New- York  and  Portsmouth  being  little 
more  than  so  much  canalling  along  a  tow-path.  If 
you  wish  to  say  any  thing  about  oceans,  talk  of  the 
Pacific,  or  of  the  Great  South  Sea,  where  a  man  may 
run  a  month  with  a  fair  wind,  and  hardly  go  from 
island  to  island.  Indeed,  that  is  an  ocean  in  which 
there  is  a  manufactory  of  islands,  for  they  turn  them 
off  in  lots  to  supply  the  market,  and  of  a  size  to  suit 
customers." 

"  A  manufactory  of  islands  !"  repeated  the  commo 
dore,  who  began  to  entertain  an  awe  of  his  companion, 
that  he  never  expected  to  feel  for  any  human  being 
on  Lake  Otsego ;  "  are  you  certain,  sir,  there  is  no 
mistake  in  this  1" 

"None  in  the  least;  not  only  islands,  but  whole 
Archipelagos  are  made  annually,  by  the  sea  insects  in 
that  quarter  of  the  world ;  but,  then,  you  are  not  to 
form  your  notions  of  an  insect  in  such  an  ocean,  by 
the  insects  you  see  in  such  a  bit  of  water  as  this." 

"As  big  as  our  pickerel,  or  salmon  trout,  I  dare 
say  ?"  returned  the  commodore,  in  the  simplicity  of  his 
heart,  for  by  this  time  his  local  and  exclusive  conceit 
was  thoroughly  humbled,  and  he  was  almost  ready  to 
believe  any  thing. 

"I  say  nothing  of  their  size,  for  it  is  to  their  num 
bers  and  industry  that  I  principally  allude  now.  A  soli 
tary  shark,  I  dare  say,  would  set  your  whole  Lake  in 
commotion?" 

"  I  think  we  might  manage  a  shark,  sir.  I  once  saw 
one  of  those  animals,  and  I  do  really  believe  the  sog- 
dollager  would  outweigh  him.  I  do  think  we  might 
manage  a  shark,  sir." 

"  Ay,  you   mean  an  in-shore,  high-latitude  fellow. 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  311 

But  what  would  you  say  to  a  shark  as  long  as  one  of 
those  pines  on  the  mountain  ?" 

"  Such  a  monster  would  take  in  a  man,  whole  ?" 

"  A  man !  He  would  take  in  a  platoon,  Indian  file. 
I  dare  say  one  of  those  pines,  now,  may  be  thirty  or 
forty  feet  high  !" 

A  gleam  of  intelligence  and  of  exultation  shot  across 
the  weather-beaten  face  of  the  old  fisherman,  for  he 
detected  a  weak  spot  in  the  other's  knowledge.  The 
worthy  Captain,  with  that  species  of  exclusiveness 
which  accompanies  excellence  in  any  one  thing,  was 
quite  ignorant  of  most  matters  that  pertain  to  the 
land.  That  there  should  be  a  tree,  so  far  inland,  that 
was  larger  than  his  main-yard,  he  did  not  think  proba 
ble,  although  that  yard  itself  was  made  of  part  of  a 
tree;  arid,  in  the  laudable  intention  of  duly  impressing 
his  companion  with  the  superiority  of  a  real  seaman 
over  a  mere  fresh-water  navigator,  he  had  inadvert 
ently  laid  bare  a  weak  spot  in  his  estimate  of  heights 
and  distances,  that  the  Commodore  seized  upon,  with 
some  such  avidity  as  the  pike  seizes  the  hook.  This 
accidental  mistake  alone  saved  the  latter  from  an  ab 
ject  submission,  for  the  cool  superiority  of  the  Captain 
had  so  far  deprived  him  of  his  conceit,  that  he  was  al 
most  ready  to  acknowledge  himself  no  better  than  a 
dog,  when  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  light  through  this 
opening. 

"  There  is  not  a  pine,  that  can  be  called  of  age,  on 
all  the  mountain,  which  is  not  more  than  a  hundred 
feet  high,  and  many  are  nearer  two,"  he  cried  in  ex 
ultation,  flourishing  his  hand.  "  The  sea  may  have  its 
big  monsters,  Captain,  but  our  hills  have  their  big  trees. 
Did  you  ever  see  a  shark  of  half  that  length  ?" 

Now,  Captain  Truck  was  a  man  of  truth,  although 
so  much  given  to  occasional  humorous  violations  of 
its  laws,  and,  withal,  a  little  disposed  to  dwell  upon  the 
marvels  of  the  great  deep,  in  the  spirit  of  exaggeration, 
and  he  could  not,  in  conscience,  affirm  any  thing  so  ex- 


312  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

travagant  as  this.  He  was  accordingly  obliged  to  ad 
mit  his  mistake,  and  from  this  moment,  the  conversa 
tion  was  carried  on  with  a  greater  regard  to  equality. 
They  talked,  as  they  fished,  of  politics,  religion,  philo 
sophy,  human  nature,  the  useful  arts,  abolition,  and 
most  other  subjects  that  would  be  likely  to  interest  a 
couple  of  Americans  who  had  nothing  to  do  but  to 
twitch,  from  time  to  time,  at  two  lines  dangling  in  the 
water.  Although  few  people  possess  less  of  the  art  of 
conversation  than  our  own  countrymen,  no  other  na 
tion  takes  as  wide  a  range  in  its  discussions.  He  is 
but  a  very  indifferent  American  that  does  not  know,  or 
thinks  he  knows,  a  little  of  every  thing,  and  neither  of 
our  worthies  was  in  the  least  backward  in  supporting 
the  claims  of  the  national  character  in  this  respect. 
This  general  discussion  completely  restored  amity  be 
tween  the  parties ;  for,  to  confess  the  truth,  our  old 
friend  the  Captain  was  a  little  rebuked  about  the  affair 
of  the  tree.  The  only  peculiarity  worthy  of  notice,  that 
occurred  in  the  course  of  their  various  digressions,  was 
the  fact,  that  the  commodore  insensibly  began  to  style 
his  companion  "  General ;"  the  courtesy  of  the  country, 
in  his  eyes,  appearing  to  require  that  a  man  who  haa 
seen  so  much  more  than  himself,  should,  at  least,  enjoy  a 
title  equal  to  his  own  in  rank,  and  that  of  Admiral  be 
ing  proscribed  by  the  sensitiveness  of  republican  prin 
ciples.  After  fishing  a  few  hours,  the  old  laker  pulled 
the  skiff  up  to  the  Point  so  often  mentioned,  where  he 
lighted  a  fire  on  the  grass,  and  prepared  a  dinner. 
When  every  thing  was  ready,  the  two  seated  them 
selves,  and  began  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  their  labours 
in  a  way  that  will  be  understood  by  all  sportsmen. 

"  I  have  never  thought  of  asking  you,  general,"  said 
the  commodore,  as  ne  began  to  masticate  a  perch, 
"  whether  you  are  an  aristocrat  or  a  democrat.  We 
have  had  the  government  pretty  much  upside-down, 
too,  this  morning,  but  this  question  has  escaped  me." 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  313 

"  As  we  are  here  by  ourselves  under  these  venerable 
oaks,  and  talking  like  two  old  messmates,"  returned  the 
general,  "I  shall  just  own  the  truth,  and  make  no  bones 
of  it.  I  kave  been  captain  of  my  own  ship  so  long, 
that  I  have  a  most  thorough  contempt  for  all  equality. 
It  is  a  vice  that  I  deprecate,  and,  whatever  may  be  the 
laws  of  this  country,  I  am  of  opinion,  that  equality  is 
no  where  borne  out  by  the  Law  of  Nations ;  which, 
after  all,  commodore,  is  the  only  true  law  for  a  gentle 
man  to  live  under." 

"  That  is  the  law  of  the  strongest,  if  I  understand 
the  matter,  general." 

"  Only  reduced  to  rules.  The  Law  of  Nations,  to 
own  the  truth  to  you,  is  full  of  categories,  and  this  will 
give  an  enterprising  man  an  opportunity  to  make  use 
of  his  knowledge.  Would  you  believe,  commodore, 
that  there  are  countries,  in  which  they  lay  taxes  on 
tobacco  1" 

"  Taxes  on  tobacco !  Sir,  I  never  heard  of  such  an 
act  of  oppression  under  the  forms  of  law !  What  has 
tobacco  done,  that  any  one  should  think  of  taxing  it  V 

"  I  believe,  commodore,  that  its  greatest  offence  is 
being  so  general  a  favourite.  Taxation,  I  have  found, 
differs  from  most  other  things,  generally  attacking  that 
which  men  most  prize." 

"  This  is  quite  new  to  me,  general ;  a  tax  on  tobacco ! 
The  law-makers  in  those  countries  cannot  chew.  I 
drink  to  your  good  health,  sir,  and  to  many  happy  re 
turns  of  such  banquets  as  this." 

Here  the  commodore  raised  a  large  silver  punch 
bowl,  which  Pierre  had  furnished,  to  his  lips,  and  fas 
tening  his  eyes  on  the  boughs  of  a  knarled  oak,  he 
looked  like  a  man  who  was  taking  an  observation,  for 
near  a  minute.  All  this  time,  the  captain  regarded  him 
with  a  sympathetic  pleasure,  and  when  the  bowl  was 
free,  he  imitated  the  example,  levelling  his  own  eye  at 
a  cloud,  that  seemed  floating  at  an  angle  of  forty-five 
degrees  above  him,  expressly  for  that  purpose. 
27 


314  HOME  AS    FOUND. 

"  There  is  a  lazy  cloud !"  exclaimed  the  general,  as 
he  let  go  his  hold  to  catch  breath;  "I  have  been 
watching  it  some  time,  and  it  has  not  moved  an  inch." 

"  Tobacco !"  repeated  the  commodore,  drawing  a  long 
breath,  as  if  he  was  just  recovering  the  play  of  his 
lungs,  "  I  should  as  soon  think  of  laying  a  tax  on  punch. 
The  country  that  pursues  such  a  policy  must,  sooner 
or  later,  meet  with  a  downfall.  I  never  knew  good 
come  of  persecution." 

"  I  find  you  are  a  sensible  man,  commodore,  and 
regret  I  did  not  make  your  acquaintance  earlier  in  life. 
Have  you  yet  made  up  your  mind  on  the  subject  of 
religious  faith  ?" 

"  Why,  my  dear  general,  not  to  be  nibbling  like  a 
sucker  with  a  sore  mouth,  with  a  person  of  your  liber 
ality,  I  shall  give  you  a  plain  his.tory  of  my  adventures, 
in  the  way  of  experiences,  that  you  may  judge  for 
yourself.  I  was  born  an  Episcopalian,  if  one  can  say 
so,  but  was  converted  to  Presbyterianism  at  twenty.  I 
stuck  to  this  denomination  about  five  years,  when  I 
thought  I  would  try  the  Baptists,  having  got  to  be  fond 
of  the  water,  by  this  time.  At  thirty-two  I  fished  a 
while  with  the  Methodists ;  since  which  conversion,  I 
have  chosen  to  worship  God  pretty  much  by  myself, 
out  here  on  the  lake." 

"  Do  you  consider  it  any  harm,  to  hook  a  fish  of  a 
Sunday?" 

"  No  more  than  it  is  to  eat  a  fish  of  a  Sunday.  I  go 
altogether  by  faith,  in  my  religion,  general,  for  they 
talked  so  much  to  me  of  the  uselessness  of  works,  that 
Pve  got  to  be  very  unparticular  as  to  what  I  do.  Your 
people  who  have  been  converted  four  or  five  times,  are 
like  so  many  pickerel,  which  strike  at  every  hook." 

"  This  is  very  much  my  case.  Now,  on  the  river — 
of  course  you  know  where  the  river  is  ?" 

"  Certain,"  said  the  commodore ;  "  it  is  at  the  foot 
of  the  lake." 

«'  My  dear  commodore,  when  we  say  « the  river,' 


HOME   AS   TOUND.  315 

N, 

we  always  mean  the  Connecticut;  and  I  am  surprised 
a  man  of  your  sagacity  should  require  to  be  told  this. 
There  are  people  on  the  river  who  contend  that  a  ship 
should  heave-to  of  a  Sunday.  They  did  talk  of  get 
ting  up  an  Anti-Sunday-Sailing-Society,  but  the  ship 
masters  were  too  many  for  them,  since  they  threatened 
to  start  a  society  to  put  down  the  growing  of  inyens, 
(the  captain  would  sometimes  use  this  pronunciation) 
except  of  week-days.  Well,  I  started  in  life,  on  the  plat 
form  tack,  in  the  way  of  religion,  and  I  believe  I  shall 
stand  on  the  same  course  till  orders  come  to  « cast  an 
chor,'  as  you  call  it.  With  you,  I  hold  out  for  faith,  as 
the  one  thing  needful.  Pray,  my  good  friend,  what 
are  your  real  sentiments  concerning  *  Old  Hickory.' 

"  Tough,  sir ; — Tough  as  a  day  in  February  on  this 
lake.  All  fins,  and  gills,  and  bones." 

"  That  is  the  justest  character  I  have  yet  heard  of 
the  old  gentleman ;  and  then  it  says  so  much  in  a  few 
words;  no  category  about  it.  I  hope  the  punch  is  to 
your  liking  ?" 

On  this  hint  the  old  fisherman  raised  the  bowl  a 
second  time  to  his  lips,  and  renewed  the  agreeable 
duty  of  letting  its  contents  flow  down  his  throat,  in  a 
pleasant  stream.  This4ime,  he  took  aim  at  a  gull  that 
was  sailing  over  his  head,  only  relinquishing  the  draught 
as  the  bird  settled  into  the  water.  The  « general '  was 
more  particular ;  for  selecting  a  stationary  object,  in 
the  top  of  an  oak,  that  grew  on  the  mountain  near 
him,  he  studied  it  with  an  admirable  abstruseness  of 
attention,  until  the  last  drop  was  drained.  As  soon  as 
this  startling  fact  was  mentioned,  however,  both  the 
convives  set  about  repairing  the  accident,  by  squeezing 
lemons,  sweetening  water,  and  mixing  liquors,  secun- 
dem  artem.  At  the  same  time,  each  lighted  a  cigar, 
and  the  conversation,  for  some  time,  was  carried  on 
between  their  teeth. 

"  We  have  been  so  frank  with  each  other  to-day,  my 
excellent  commodore,"  said  Captain  Truck,  "  that  did 


316  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

I  know  your  true  sentiments  concerning  Temperance 
Societies,  I  should  look  on  your  inmost  soul  as  a  part 
of  myself.  By  these  free  communications  men  get 
really  to  know  each  other." 

"  If  liquor  is  not  made  to  be  drunk,  for  what  is  it 
made  ?  Any  one  may  see  that  this  lake  was  made  for 
skiffs  and  fishing ;  it  has  a  length,  breadth,  and  depth, 
suited  to  such  purposes.  Now,  here  is  liquor  distilled, 
bottled,  and  corked,  and  I  ask  if  all  does  not  show  that 
it  was  made  to  be  drunk.  I  dare  say  your  temperance 
men  are  ingenious,  but  let  them  answer  that  if  they 
can." 

"  I  wish,  from  my  heart,  my  dear  sir,  we  had  known 
each  other  fifty  years  since.  That  would  have  brought 
you  acquainted  with  salt-water,  and  left  nothing  to  be 
desired  in  your  character.  We  think  alike,  I  believe, 
in  every  thing  but  on  the  virtues  of  fresh-water.  If 
these  temperance  people  had  their  way,  we  should 
all  be  turned  into  so  many  Turks,  who  never  taste 
wine,  and  yet  marry  a  dozen  wives." 

"  One  of  the  great  merits  of  fresh-water,  general,  is 
what  I  call  its  mixable  quality." 

"  There  would  be  an  end  to  Saturday  nights,  too, 
which  are  the  seamen's  tea-parties." 

"  I  question  if  many  of  them  fish  in  the  rain,  from 
sunrise  to  sunset." 

"  Or,  stand  their  watches  in  wet  pee-jackets,  from 
sunset  to  sunrise.  Splicing  the  main  brace  at  such 
times,  is  the  very  quintessence  of  human  enjoyments." 

"If  liquors  were  not  made  to  be  drunk,"  put  in  the 
commodore,  logically,  "I  would  again  ask  for  what 
are  they  made  ?  Let  the  temperance  men  get  over  that 
difficulty  if  they  can." 

"  Commodore,  I  wish  you  twenty  more  good  hearty 
years  of  fishing  in  this  lake,  which  grows,  each  in 
stant,  more  beautiful  in  my  eyes,  as  I  confess  does  the 
whole  earth ;  and  to  show  you  that  I  say  no  more  than 
I  think,  I  will  clench  it  with  a  draught." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  317 

Captain  Truck  now  brought  his  right  eye  to  bear  on 
the  new  moon,  which  happened  to  be  at  a  convenient 
height,  closed  the  left  one,  and  continued  in  that  atti 
tude  until  the  commodore  began  seriously  to  think  he 
was  to  get  nothing  besides  the  lemon-seeds  for  his 
share.  This  apprehension,  however,  could  only  arise 
from  ignorance  of  his  companion's  character,  than 
whom  a  juster  man,  according  to  the  notions  of  ship 
masters,  did  not  live ;  and  had  one  measured  the  punch 
that  was  left  in  the  bowl  when  this  draught  was  ended, 
he  would  have  found  that  precisely  one  half  of  it  was 
still  untouched,  to  a  thimblefull.  The  commodore  now 
had  his  turn ;  and  before  he  got  through,  the  bottom  of 
the  vessel  was  as  much  uppermost  as  the  butt  of  a  club 
bed  firelock.  When  the  honest  fisherman  took  breath 
after  this  exploit,  and  lowered  his  cup  from  the  vault 
of  heaven  to  the  surface  of  the  earth,  he  caught  a  view 
of  a  boat  crossing  the  lake,  coming  from  the  Silent 
Pine,  to  that  Point  on  which  they  were  enjoying  so 
many  agreeable  hallucinations  on  the  subject  of  tem 
perance. 

"  Yonder  is  the  party  from  the  Wigwam,"  he  said, 
"  and  they  will  be  just  in  time  to  become  converts  to 
our  opinions,  if  they  have  any  doubts  on  the  subjects 
we  have  discussed.  Shall  we  give  up  the  ground  to 
them,  by  taking  to  the  skiff,  or  do  you  feel  disposed  to 
face  the  women  ?" 

"  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  commodore,  I 
should  prefer  your  society  to  all  the  petticoats  in  the 
State,  but  there  are  two  ladies  in  that  party,  either  of 
whom  I  would  marry,  any  day,  at  a  minute's  warning." 

"  Sir,"  said  the  commodore  with  a  tone  of  warning, 
"  we,  who  have  lived  bachelors  so  long,  and  are  wed 
ded  to  the  water,  ought  never  to  speak  lightly  on  so 
grave  a  subject." 

"  Nor  do  I.  Two  women,  one  of  whom  is  twenty, 
and  the  other  seventy — and  hang  me  if  I  know  which 
I  prefer." 

27* 


318  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  You  would  soonest  be  rid  of  the  last,  my  dear  ge 
neral,  and  my  advice  is  to  take  her." 

"  Old  as  she  is,  sir,  a  king  would  have  to  plead  hard 
to  get  her  consent.  We  will  make  them  some  punch, 
that  they  may  see  we  were  mindful  of  them  in  their 
absence." 

To  work  these  worthies  now  went  in  earnest,  in 
order  to  anticipate  the  arrival  of  the  party,  and  as  the 
different  compounds  were  in  the  course  of  mingling, 
the  conversation  did  not  flag.  By  this  time  both  the 
salt-water  and  the  fresh-water  sailor  were  in  that  con 
dition  when  men  are  apt  to  think  aloud,  and  the  com 
modore  had  lost  all  his  awe  of  his  companion. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  said  the  former,  "  I  am  a  thousand 
times  sorry  you  came  from  that  river,  for,  to  tell 
you  my  mind  without  any  concealment,  my  only  objec 
tion  to  you  is  that  you  are  not  of  the  middle  states. 
I  admit  the  good  qualities  of  the  Yankees,  in  a  general 
way,  and  yet  they  are  the  very  worst  neighbours  that 
a  man  can  have." 

"  This  is  a  new  character  of  them,  commodore,  as 
they  generally  pass  for  the  best,  in  their  own  eyes.  I 
should  like  to  hear  you  explain  your  meaning." 

"  I  call  him  a  bad  neighbour  who  never  remains 
long  enough  in  a  place  to  love  any  thing  but  himself. 
Now,  sir,  I  have  a  feeling  for  every  pebble  on  the  shore 
of  this  lake,  a  sympathy  with  every  wave," — here  the 
commodore  began  to  twirl  his  hand  about,  with  the 
fingers  standing  apart,  like  so  many  spikes  in  a  che- 
vaux-de-frise — "  and  each  hour,  as  I  row  across  it,  I 
find  I  like  it  better ;  and  yet,  sir,  would  you  believe  me, 
I  often  go  away  of  a  morning  to  pass  the  day  on  the 
water,  and,  on  returning  home  at  night,  find  half  the 
houses  filled  with  new  faces." 

"  What  becomes  of  the  old  ones  ?"  demanded  Cap 
tain  Truck ;  for  this,  it  struck  him,  was  getting  the  bet 
ter  of  him  with  his  own  weapons.  "  Do  you  mean 
that  the  people  come  and  go  like  the  tides  V 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  319 

"  Exactly  so,  sir ;  just  as  it  used  to  be  witn  the  her 
rings  in  the  Otsego,  before  the  Susquehannah  was 
dammed,  and  is  still,  with  the  swallows." 

"Well,  well,  my  good  friend,  take  consolation. 
You'll  meet  all  the  faces  you  ever  saw  here,  one  day; 
in  heaven." 

"  Never ;  not  a  man  of  them  will  stay  there,  if  there 
be  such  a  thing  as  moving.  Depend  on  it,  sir,"  added 
the  commodore,  in  the  simplicity  of  his  heart,  "  heaven 
is  no  place  for  a  Yankee,  if  he  can  get  farther  west, 
by  hook  or  by  crook.  They  are  all  too  uneasy  for  any 
steady  occupation.  You,  who  are  a  navigator,  must 
know  something  concerning  the  stars ;  is  there  such  a 
thing  as  another  world,  that  lies  west  of  this  ?" 

"  That  can  hardly  be,  commodore,  since  the  points 
of  the  compass  only  refer  to  objects  on  this  earth. 
You  know,  I  suppose,  that  a  man  starting  from  this 
spot,  and  travelling  due  west,  would  arrive,  in  time,  at 
this  very  point,  coming  in  from  the  east ;  so  that  what 
is  west  to  us,  in  the  heavens,  on  this  side  of  the  world, 
is  east  to  those  on  the  other." 

"  This  I  confess  I  did  not  know,  general.  I  havo 
understood  that  what  is  good  in  one  man's  eyes,  will 
be  bad  in  another's ;  but  never  before  have  I  heard  that 
what  is  west  to  one  man,  lies  east  to  another.  I  am 
afraid,  general,  that  there  is  a  little  of  the  sogdollager 
bait  in  this?" 

"  Not  enough,  sir,  to  catch  the  merest  fresh-water 
gudgeon  that  swims.  No,  no ;  there  is  neither  east  nor 
wrest  off  the  earth,  nor  any  up  and  down ;  and  so  we 
Yankees  must  try  and  content  ourselves  with  heaven. 
Now,  commodore,  hand  me  the  bowl,  and  we  will  get 
it  ready  down  to  the  shore,  and  offer  the  ladies  our 
homage.  And  so  you  have  become  a  laker  in  your 
religion,  my  dear  commodore,"  continued  the  general, 
between  his  teeth,  while  he  smoked  and  squeezed  a 
lemon  at  the  same  time,  "  and  do  your  worshipping  on 
the  water  ?" 


320  HOME    AS    FOUNT!. 

"Altogether  of  late,  and  more  especially  since  my 
dream." 

"  Dream !  My  dear  sir,  I  should  Jhink  you  altogether 
too  innocent  a  man  to  dream." 

"  The  best  of  us  have  our  failings,  general.  I  do 
sometimes  dream,  I  own,  as  well  as  the  greatest  sin 
ner  of  them  all." 

"  And  of  what  did  you  dream — the  sogdollager  ?" 

"  I  dreamt  of  death." 

"  Of  slipping  the  cable !"  cried  the  general,  looking 
up  suddenly.  "  Well,  what  was  the  drift  ?" 

"  Why,  sir,  having  no  wings,  I  went  down  below, 
and  soon  found  myself  in  the  presence  of  the  old  gen 
tleman  himself." 

"  That  was  pleasant — had  he  a  tail  ?  I  have  always 
been  curious  to  know  whether  he  really  has  a  tail  or 
not." 

"  I  saw  none,  sir,  but  then  we  stood  face  to  face,  like 
gentlemen,  and  I  cannot  describe  what  I  did  not  see." 

"  Was  he  glad  to  see  you,  commodore  ?" 

"  Why,  sir,  he  was  civilly  spoken,  but  his  occupa 
tion  prevented  many  compliments." 

"  Occupation !" 

"  Certainly,  sir ;  he  was  cutting  out  shoes,  for  his 
imps  to  travel  about  in,  in  order  to  stir  up  mischief." 

"  And  did  he  set  you  to  work  ? — This  is  a  sort  of 
State-Prison  affair,  after  all !" 

"  No  sir,  he  was  too  much  of  a  gentleman  to  set  me 
at  making  shoes  as  soon  as  I  arrived.  He  first  inquired 
what  part  of  the  country  I  was  from,  and  when  I  told 
him,  he  was  curious  to  know  what  most  of  the  people 
were  about  in  our  neighbourhood." 

"  You  told  him,  of  course,  commodore  ?" 
"  Certainly,   sir,  I  told  him  their  chief  occupation 
was  quarrelling  about  religion  ;  making  saints  of  them 
selves,  and  sinners  of  their  neighbours.     *  Hollo  !'  says 
the  Devil,  calling  out  to  one  of  his  imps,  '  boy,  run  and 
catch  my  horse — I  must  be  off,  and  have  a  finger  in 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  321 

that  pie.  What  denominations  have  you  in  that  quar 
ter,  commodore?  So  I  told  him,  general,  that  we 
had  Baptists,  and  Quakers,  and  Universalists,  and 
Episcopalians,  and  Presbyterians,  old-lights,  new-lights, 

and  blue-lights  ;  and  Methodists .  *  Stop/  said  the 

Devil,  'that's  enough;  you  imp,  be  nimble  with  that 
horse. — Let  me  see,  commodore,  what  part  of  the 
country  did  you  say  you  came  from  ?  I  told  him  the 
name  more  distinctly  this  time " 

"  The  very  spot  ?" 

"  Town  and  county." 

"  And  what  did  the  Devil  say  to  that  ?" 

"  He  called  out  to  the  imp,  again — '  Hollo,  you  boy, 
never  mind  that  horse ;  these  people  will  all  be  here 
before  I  can  get  there.'  " 

Here  the  commodore  and  the  general  began  to 
laugh,  until  the  arches  of  the  forest  rang  with  their 
merriment.  Three  times  they  stopped,  and  as  often 
did  they  return  to  their  glee,  until,  the  punch  being 
ready,  each  took  a  fresh  draught,  in  order  to  ascertain 
if  it  were  fit  to  be  offered  to  the  ladies. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


"  O  Romeo,  Romeo,  wherefore  art  thou  Romeo  ?" 

ROMEO  AND  JULIET. 


THE  usual  effect  of  punch  is  to  cause  people  to  see 
double ;  but,  on  this  occasion,  the  mistake  was  the  other 
way,  for  two  boats  had  touched  the  strand,  instead  of 
the  one  announced  by  the  commodore,  and  they  brought 
with  them  the  whole  party  from  the  Wigwam,  Stead 
fast  and  Aristabulus  included.  A  domestic  or  two  had 
also  been  brought  to  prepare  the  customary  repast. 

Captain  Truck  was  as  good  as  his  word,  as  respects 


322  HOME    AS    TOUND 

the  punch,  and  the  beverage  was  offered  to  each  of  the 
ladies  in  form,  as  soon  as  her  feet  had  touched  the 
green  sward  which  covers  that  beautiful  spot.  Mrs. 
Hawker  declined  drinking,  in  a  way  to  delight  the  gal 
lant  seaman;  for  so  completely  had  she  got  the  better 
of  all  his  habits  and  prejudices,  that  every  thing  she 
did  seemed  right  and  gracious  in  his  eyes. 

The  party  soon  separated  into  groups,  or  pairs,  some 
being  seated  on  the  margin  of  the  limpid  water,  enjoy 
ing  the  light  cool  airs,  by  which  it  was  fanned,  others 
lay  off  in  the  boats  fishing,  while  the  remainder  plunged 
into  the  woods,  that,  in  their  native  wildness,  bounded 
the  little  spot  of  verdure,  which,  canopied  by  old  oaks, 
formed  the  arena  so  lately  in  controversy.  In  this  man 
ner,  an  hour  or  two  soon  slipped  away,  when  a  sum 
mons  was  given  for  all  to  assemble  around  the  viands. 

The  repast  was  laid  on  the  grass,  notwithstanding 
Aristabulus  more  than  hinted  that  the  public,  his  be 
loved  public,  usually  saw  fit  to  introduce  rude  tables 
for  that  purpose.  The  Messrs.  Effinghams,  however, 
were  not  to  be  taught  by  a  mere  bird  of  passage,  how 
a  rustic  fete  so  peculiarly  their  own,  ought  to  be  con 
ducted,  and  the  attendants  were  directed  to  spread  the 
dishes  on  the  turf.  Around  this  spot,  rustic  seats  were 
improvises,  and  the  business  of  restauration  proceeded. 
Of  all  there  assembled,  the  Parisian  feelings  of  Made 
moiselle  Viefville  were  the  most  excited ;  for  to  her, 
the  scene  was  one  of  pure  delights,  with  the  noble 
panorama  of  forest-clad  mountains,  the  mirror-like 
lake,  the  overshadowing  oaks,  and  the  tangled  brakes 
of  the  adjoining  woods. 

"  Mais,  vraiment  ceci  surpasse  les  Tuileries,  meme 
dans  leur  propre  genre  /"  she  exclaimed,  with  energy. 
<;  On  passerait  volontiers  par  les  dangers  du  desert  pour 
y  parvenir." 

Those  who  understood  her,  smiled  at  this  character 
istic  remark,  and  most  felt  disposed  to  join  in  the 
enthusiasm.  Still,  the  manner  in  which  their  com- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  323 

panions  expressed  the  happiness  they  felt,  appeared 
tame  and  unsatisfactory  to  Mr.  Bragg  and  Mr.  Dodge, 
these  two  persons  being  accustomed  to  see  the  young 
of  the  two  sexes  indulge  in  broader  exhibitions  of 
merry-making  than  those  in  which  it  comported  with 
the  tastes  and  habits  of  the  present  party  to  indulge. 
In  vain  Mrs.  Hawker,  in  her  quiet  dignified  way, 
enjoyed  the  ready  wit  and  masculine  thoughts  of  Mrs. 
Bloomfield,  appearing  to  renew  her  youth ;  or,  Eve, 
with  her  sweet  simplicity,  and  highly  cultivated  mind 
and  improved  tastes,  seemed  like  a  highly-polished 
mirror,  to  throw  back  the  flashes  of  thought  and 
memory,  that  so  constantly  gleamed  before  both;  it 
was  all  lost  on  these  thoroughly  matter-of-fact  utilita 
rians.  Mr.  Effingham,  all  courtesy  and  mild  refine 
ment,  was  seldom  happier ;  and  John  Effingham  was 
never  more  pleasant,  for  he  had  laid  aside  the  severity 
of  his  character,  to  appear,  what  he  ought  always  to 
have  been,  a  man  in  whom  intelligence  and  quickness 
of  thought  could  be  made  to  seem  secondary  to  the 
gentler  qualities.  The  young  men  were  not  behind 
their  companions,  either,  each,  in  his  particular  way, 
appearing  to  advantage,  gay,  regulated,  and  full 
of  a  humour  that  was  rendered  so  much  the  more 
agreeable,  by  drawing  its  images  from  a  knowledge 
of  the  world,  that  was  tempered  by  observation  and 
practice. 

Poor  Grace,  alone,  was  the  only  one  of  the  whole 
party,  always  excepting  Aristabulus  and  Steadfast, 
who,  for  those  fleeting  but  gay  hours,  was  not  tho 
roughly  happy.  For  the  first  time  in  her  life,  she  felt 
her  own  deficiencies,  that  ready  and  available  know 
ledge,  so  exquisitely  feminine  in  its  nature  and  exhibi 
tion,  which  escaped  Mrs.  Bloomfield  and  Eve,  as  it 
might  be  from  its  own  excess ;  which  the  former  pos 
sessed  almost  intuitively,  a  gift  of  Heaven,  and  which 
the  latter  enjoyed,  not  only  from  the  same  source,  but 
as  a  just  consequence  of  her  long  and  steady  self- 


324  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

denial,  application,  and  a  proper  appreciation  of  her 
duty  to  herself,  was  denied  one  who,  in  ill-judged 
compliance  with  the  customs  of  a  society  that  has  no 
other  apparent  aim  than  the  love  of  display,  had  pre 
cluded  herself  from  enjoyments  that  none  but  the  intel 
lectual  can  feel.  Still  Grace  was  beautiful  and  attrac 
tive  ;  and  though  she  wondered  where  her  cousin,  in 
general  so  simple  and  unpretending,  had  acquired  all 
those  stores  of  thought,  that,  in  the  abandon  and  free 
dom  of  such  a  fete,  escaped  her  in  rich  profusion, 
embellished  with  ready  allusions  and  a  brilliant  though 
chastened  wit,  her  generous  and  affectionate  heart 
could  permit  her  to  wonder  without  envying.  She 
perceived,  for  the  first  time,  on  this  occasion,  that  if 
Eve  were  indeed  a  Hajji,  it  was  not  a  Hajji  of  a  com 
mon  school ;  and,  while  her  modesty  and  self-abase 
ment  led  her  bitterly  to  regret  the  hours  irretrievably 
wasted  in  the  frivolous  levities  so  common  to  those  of 
her  sex  with  whom  she  had  been  most  accustomed  to 
mingle,  her  sincere  regret  did  not  lessen  her  admira 
tion  for  one  she  began  tenderly  to  love. 

As  for  Messrs.  Dodge  arid  Bragg,  they  both  deter 
mined,  in  their  own  minds,  that  this  was  much  the 
most  stupid  entertainment  they  had  ever  seen  on  that 
spot,  for  it  was  entirely  destitute  of  loud  laughing, 
noisy  merriment,  coarse  witticisms,  and  practical 
jokes.  To  them  it  appeared  the  height  of  arrogance, 
for  any  particular  set  of  persons  to  presume  to  come 
to  a  spot,  rendered  sacred  by  the  public  suffrage  in  its 
favour,  in  order  to  indulge  in  these  outlandish  dog-in- 
the-mangerisms. 

Towards  the  close  of  this  gay  repast,  and  when  the 
party  were  about  to  yield  their  places  to  the  attend 
ants,  who  were  ready  to  re-ship  the  utensils,  John 
Effingham  observed — 

"I  trust,  Mrs.  Hawker,  you  have  been  duly  warned 
of  the  catastrophe-character  of  this  point,  on  which 
woman  is  said  never  to  have  been  wooed  in  vain. 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  325 

Here  are  Captain  Truck  and  myself,  ready  at  any 
moment  to  use  these  carving  knives,  faute  des  Bowies, 
in  order  to  show  our  desperate  devotion ;  and  I  deem  it 
no  more  than  prudent  in  you,  not  to  smile  again  this 
day,  lest  the  cross-eyed  readings  of  jealousy  should 
impute  a  wrong  motive." 

"Had  the  injunction  been  against  laughing,  sir,  I 
might  have  resisted,  but  smiles  are  far  too  feeble  to 
express  one's  approbation,  on  such  a  day  as  this ;  you 
may,  therefore,  trust  to  my  discretion.  Is  it  then  true, 
however,  that  Hymen  haunts  these  shades  ?" 

"  A  bachelor's  history  of  the  progress  of  love,  may 
be,  like  the  education  of  his  children,  distrusted ;  but  so 
sayeth  tradition ;  and  I  never  put  my  foot  in  the  place, 
without  making  fresh  vows  of  constancy  to  myself. 
After  this  announcement  of  the  danger,  dare  you  accept 
an  arm,  for  I  perceive  signs  that  life  cannot  be  entirely 
wasted  in  these  pleasures,  great  as  they  may  prove." 

The  whole  party  arose,  and  separating  naturally, 
they  strolled  in  groups  or  pairs  again,  along  the  pebbly 
strand,  or  beneath  the  trees,  while  the  attendants  made 
the  preparations  to  depart.  Accident,  as  much  as 
design,  left  Sir  George  and  Grace  alone,  for  neither 
perceived  the  circumstance  until  they  had  both  passed 
a  little  rise  in  the  formation  of  the  ground,  and  were 
beyond  the  view  of  their  companions.  The  baronet 
was  the  first  to  perceive  how  much  he  had  been 
favoured  by  fortune,  and  his  feelings  were  touched  by 
the  air  of  gentle  melancholy,  that  shaded  the  usually 
bright  and  brilliant  countenance  of  the  beautiful  girl. 

"I  should  have  thrice  enjoyed  this  pleasant  day,"  he 
said,  with  an  interest  in  his  manner,  that  caused  the 
heart  of  Grace  to  beat  quicker,  "  had  I  not  seen  that  to 
you  it  has  been  less  productive  of  satisfaction,  than  to 
most  of  those  around  you.  I  fear  you  may  not  be  as 
well,  as  usual  ?" 

"  In  health,  never  better,  though  not  in  spirits,  per 
haps." 

28 


326  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  I  could  wish  I  had  a  right  to  inquire  why  you, 
who  have  so  few  causes  in  general  to  be  out  of  spirits, 
should  have  chosen  a  moment  so  little  in  accordance 
with  the  common  feeling." 

"  I  have  chosen  no  moment ;  the  moment  has  cho 
sen  me,  I  fear.  Not  until  this  day,  Sir  George  Tem- 
plemore,  have  I  ever  been  truly  sensible  of  my  great 
inferiority  to  my  cousin,  Eve." 

'*  An  inferiority  that  no  one  but  yourself  would  ob 
serve  or  mention." 

"  No,  I  am  neither  vain  enough,  nor  ignorant  enough, 
to  be  the  dupe  of  this  flattery,"  returned  Grace,  shaking 
her  hands  and  head,  while  she  forced  a  smile ;  for  even 
the  delusions  those  we  ^love  pour  into  our  ears,  are 
not  without  their  charms.  "  When  I  first  met  my 
cousin,  after  her  return,  my  own  imperfections  ren 
dered  me  blind  to  her  superiority ;  but  she  herself  has 
gradually  taught  me  to  respect  her  mind,  her  womanly 
character,  her  tact,  her  delicacy,  principles,  breeding, 
every  thing  that  can  make  a  woman  estimable,  or 
worthy  to  be  loved !  Oh !  how  have  I  wasted  in 
childish  amusements,  and  frivolous  vanities,  the  precious 
moments  of  that  girlhood  which  can  never  be  recalled, 
and  left  myself  scarcely  worthy  to  be  an  associate  of 
Eve  Effingham  !" 

The  first  feelings  of  Grace  had  so  far  gotten  the 
control,  that  she  scarce  knew  what  she  said,  or  to 
whom  she  was  speaking ;  she  even  wrung  her  hands, 
in  the  momentary  bitterness  of  her  regrets,  and  in  a 
way  to  arouse  all  the  sympathy  of  a  lover. 

"  No  one  but  yourself  would  say  this,  Miss  Van 
Cortlandt,  and  least  of  all  your  admirable  cousin." 

"  She  is,  indeed,  my  admirable  cousin !  But  what 
are  ive,  in  comparison  with  such  a  woman.  Simple 
and  unaffected  as  a  child,  with  the  intelligence  of  a 
scholar ;  with  all  the  graces  of  a  woman,  she  has  the 
learning  and  mind  of  a  man.  Mistress  of  so  many 
languages " 


HOME   AS   FOUND.  327 

"But  you,  too,  speak  several,  my  dear  Miss  Van 
Corilandt." 

"  Yes,"  said  Grace,  bitterly,  "  I  speak  them,  as  the 
parrot  repeats  words  that  he  does  not  understand.  But 
Eve  Effingham  has  used  these  languages  as  means, 
and  she  does  not  tell  you  merely  what  such  a  phrase 
or  idiom  signifies,  but  what  the  greatest  writers  have 
thought  and  written." 

"  No  one  has  a  more  profound  respect  for  your  cou 
sin  than  myself,  Miss  Van  Cortlandt,  but  justice  to  you 
requires  that  I  should  say  her  great  superiority  over 
yourself  has  escaped  me." 

"  This  may  be  true,  Sir  George  Templemore,  and 
for  a  long  time  it  escaped  me  too.  I  have  only  learned 
to  prize  her  as  she  ought  to  be  prized  by  an  intimate 
acquaintance ;  hour  by  hour,  as  it  might  be.  But  even 
you  must  have  observed  how  quick  and  intuitively  my 
cousin  and  Mrs.  Bloomfield  have  understood  each  other 
to-day;  how  much  extensive  reading,  and  what  pol 
ished  tastes  they  have  both  shown,  and  all  so  truly 
feminine !  Mrs.  Bloomfield  is  a  remarkable  woman, 
but  she  loves  these  exhibitions,  for  she  knows  she  ex 
cels  in  them.  Not  so  with  Eve  Effingham,  who,  while 
she  so  thoroughly  enjoys  every  thing  intellectual,  is  con 
tent,  always,  to  seem  so  simple.  Now,  it  happens,  that 
the  conversation  turned  once  to-day  on  a  subject  that 
my  cousin,  no  later  than  yesterday,  fully  explained  to 
me,  at  my  own  earnest  request ;  and  I  observed  that, 
while  she  joined  so  naturally  with  Mrs.  Bloomfield  in 
adding  to  our  pleasure,  she  kept  back  half  what  she 
knew,  lest  she  might  seem  to  surpass  her  friend.  No- 
no — no — there  is  not  such  another  woman  as  Eve 
Effingham  in  this  world !" 

"  So  keen  a  perception  of  excellence  in  others,  de 
notes  an  equal  excellence  in  yourself." 

"  I  know  my  own  great  inferiority  now,  and  no  kind 
ness  of  yours,  Sir  George  Templemore,  can  ever  per 
suade  me  into  a  better  opinion  of  myself.  Eve  has 


328  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

travelled,  seen  much  in  Europe  that  does  not  exist  here, 
and,  instead  of  passing  her  youth  in  girlish  trifling,  has 
treated  the  minutes  as  if  they  were  all  precious,  as  she 
well  knew  them  to  be/' 

"  If  Europe,  then,  does  indeed  possess  these  advan 
tages,  why  not  yourself  visit  it,  dearest  Miss  Van 
CortlandU" 

"  I — I  a  Hajji !"  cried  Grace  with  childish  pleasure, 
though  her  colour  heightened,  and,  for  a  moment,  Eve 
and  her  superiority  was  forgotten. 

Certainly  Sir  George  Templemore  did  not  come  out 
on  the  lake  that  day  with  any  expectation  *of  offering 
his  baronetcy,  his  fair  estate,  with  his  hand,  to  this  art 
less,  half-educated,  provincial,  but  beautiful  girl.  For 
a  long  time  he  had  been  debating  with  himself  the  pro 
priety  of  such  a  step,  and  it  is  probable  that,  at  some 
later  period,  he  would  have  sought  an  occasion,  had 
not  one  now  so  opportunely  offered,  notwithstanding 
all  his  doubts  and  reasonings  with  himself.  If  the 
"  woman  who  hesitates  is  lost,"  it  is  equally  true  that 
the  man  who  pretends  to  set  up  his  reason  alone  against 
beauty,  is  certain  to  find  that  sense  is  less  powerful 
than  the  senses.  Had  Grace  Van  Cortlandt  been  more 
sophisticated,  less  natural,  her  beauty  might  have  failed 
to  make  this  conquest ;  but  the  baronet  found  a  charm 
in  her  naivete,  that  was  singularly  winning  to  the  feel 
ings  of  a  man  of  the  world.  Eve  had  first  attracted 
him  by  the  same  quality ;  the  early  education  of  Ame 
rican  females  being  less  constrained  and  artificial  than 
that  of  the  English ;  but  in  Eve  he  found  a  mental  train 
ing  and  acquisitions  that  left  the  quality  less  conspicu 
ous,  perhaps,  than  in  her  scarcely  less  beautiful  cousin ; 
though,  had  Eve  met  his  admiration  with  any  thing 
like  sympathy,  her  power  over  him  would  not  have 
been  easily  weakened.  As  it  was,  Grace  had  been 
gradually  winding  herself  around  his  affections,  and 
he  now  poured  out  his  love,  in  a  language  that  her  un 
practised  and  already  favourably  disposed  feelings  had 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  329 

no  means  of  withstanding.  A  very  few  minutes  were 
allowed  to  them,  before  the  summons  to  the  boat ;  but 
when  this  summons  came,  Grace  rejoined  the  party, 
elevated  in  her  own  good  opinion,  as  happy  as  a  cloud 
less  future  could  make  her,  and  without  another 
thought  of  the  immeasurable  superiority  of  her  cousin. 

By  a  singular  coincidence,  while  the  baronet  and 
Grace  were  thus  engaged  on  one  part  of  the  shore, 
Eve  was  the  subject  of  a  similar  proffer  of  connecting 
herself  for  life,  on  another.  She  had  left  the  circle, 
attended  by  Paul,  her  father,  and  Aristabulus ;  but  no 
sooner  had  they  reached  the  margin  of  the  water,  than 
the  two  former  were  called  away  by  Captain  Truck, 
to  settle  some  controverted  point  between  the  latter 
and  the  commodore.  By  this  unlooked-for  desertion, 
Eve  found  herself  alone  with  Mr.  Bragg. 

"  That  was  a  funny  and  comprehensive  remark  Mr. 
John  made  about  the  '  Point,'  Miss  Eve,"  Aristabulus 
commenced,  as  soon  as  he  found  himself  in  possession 
of  the  ground.  "  I  should  like  to  know  if  it  be  really 
true  that  no  woman  was  ever  unsuccessfully  wooed 
beneath  these  oaks  ?  If  such  be  the  case,  we  gentle 
men  ought  to  be  cautious  how  we  come  here." 

Here  Aristabulus  simpered,  and  looked,  if  possible, 
more  amiable  than  ever ;  though  the  quiet  composure 
and  womanly  dignity  of  Eve,  who  respected  herself 
too  much,  and  too  well  knew  what  was  due  to  her  sex, 
even  to  enter  into,  or,  so  far  as  it  depended  on  her  will, 
to  permit  any  of  that  common-place  and  vulgar  trifling 
about  love  and  matrimony,  which  formed  a  never-fail 
ing  theme  between  the  youthful  of  the  two  sexes,  in 
Mr.  Bragg's  particular  circle,  sensibly  curbed  his  am 
bitious  hopes. '  Still  he  thought  he  had  made  too  good 
an  opening,  not  to  pursue  the  subject. 

"  Mr.  John  Effingham  sometimes  indulges  in  plea 
santries,"  Eve  answered,  "  that  would  lead  one  astray 
who  might  attempt  to  follow." 

"Love  15  a  jack-o'-lantern,"  rejoined  Aristabulus, 
28* 


330  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

sentimentally.  "  That  I  admit ;  and  it  is  no  wonder 
so  many  get  swamped  in  following  his  lights.  Have 
you  ever  felt  the  tender  passion,  Miss  Eve  1" 

Now,  Aristabulus  had  heard  this  question  put  at  the 
soiree  of  Mrs.  Houston,  more  than  once,  and  he  be 
lieved  himself  to  be  in  the  most  polite  road  for  a 
regular  declaration.  An  ordinary  woman,  who  felt 
herself  offended  by  this  question,  would,  most  probably, 
have  stepped  back,  and,  raising  her  form  to  its  utmost 
elevation,  answered  by  an  emphatic  "  sir !"  Not  so 
with  Eve.  She  felt  the  distance  between  Mr.  Bragg 
and  herself  to  be  so  great,  that  by  no  probable  means 
could  he  even  offend  her  by  any  assumption  of  equality. 
This  distance  was  the  result  of  opinions,  habits,  and 
education,  rather  than  of  condition,  however;  for, 
though  Eve  Effingham  could  become  the  wife  of  a 
gentleman  only,  she  was  entirely  superior  to  those  pre 
judices  of  the  world  that  depend  on  purely  factitious 
causes.  Instead  of  discovering  surprise,  indignation, 
or  dramatic  dignity,  therefore,  at  this  extraordinary 
question,  she  barely  permitted  a  smile  to  curl  her  hand 
some  mouth;  and  this  so  slightly,  as  to  escape  her 
companion's  eye. 

"  I  believe  we  are  to  be  favoured  with  as  smooth 
water,  in  returning  to  the  village,  as  we  had  in  the 
morning,  while  coming  to  this  place,"  she  simply  said. 
"  You  row  sometimes,  I  think,  Mr.  Bragg  '?" 

"Ah!  Miss  Eve,  such  another  opportunity  may 
never  occur  again,  for  you  foreign  ladies  are  so  diffi 
cult  of  access!  Let  me,  then,  seize  this  happy  mo 
ment,  here,  beneath  the  hymeneal  oaks,  to  offer  you 
this  faithful  hand  and  this  willing  heart.  Of  fortune 
you  will  have  enough  for  both,  and  I  say*nothing  about 
the  miserable  dross.  Reflect,  Miss  Eve,  how  happy 
we  might  be,  protecting  and  soothing  the  old  age  of 
your  father,  and  in  going  down  the  hill  of  life  in  com 
pany  ;  or,  as  the  song  says,  *  and  hand  in  hand  we  '11 
go,  and  sleep  the'gither  at  the  foot,  John  Anderson, 
my  Joe.' " 


HOME   AS   FOUND.  331 

"You  draw  very  agreeable  pictures,  Mr  Bragg, 
and  with  the  touches  of  a  master !" 

•'However  agreeable  you  find  them,  Miss  Eve, 
they  fall  infinitely  short  of  the  truth.  The  tie  of  wed 
lock,  besides  being  the  most  sacred,  is  also  the  dear- 
est ;  and  happy,  indeed-,  are  they  who  enter  into  the 
solemn  engagement  with  such  cheerful  prospects  as 
ourselves.  Our  ages  are  perfectly  suitable,  our  dispo 
sition  entirely  consonant,  our  habits  so  similar  as  to 
obviate  all  unpleasant  changes,  and  our  fortunes  pre 
cisely  what  they  ought  to  be  to  render  a  marriage  hap 
py,  with  confidence  on  one  side,  and  gratitude  on  the 
other.  As  to  the  day,  Miss  Eve,  I  could  wish  to  leave 
you  altogether  the  mistress  of  that,  and  shall  not  be 
urgent." 

Eve  had  often  heard  John  Effingham  comment  on 
the  cool  impudence  of  a  particular  portion  of  the  Ame 
rican  population,  with  great  amusement  to  herself;  but 
never  did  she  expect  to  be  the  subject  of  an  attack  like 
this  in  her  own  person.  By  way  of  rendering  the 
scene  perfect,  Aristabulus  had  taken  out  his  penknife, 
cut  a  twig  from  a  bush,  and  he  now  rendered  himself 
doubly  interesting  by  commencing  the  favourite  occu 
pation  of  whittling.  A  cooler  picture  of  passion  could 
not  well  have  been  drawn. 

"  You  are  bashfully  silent,  Miss  Eve !  I  make  all 
due  allowances  for  natural  timidity,  and  shall  say  no 
more  at  present — though,  as  silence  universally  *  gives 
consent — ' " 

"  If  you  please,  sir,"  interrupted  Eve,  with  a  slight 
motion  of  her  parasol,  that  implied  a  check.  "  I  pre 
sume  our  habits  and  opinions,  notwithstanding  you 
seem  to  think  them  so  consonant  with  each  other, 
are  sufficiently  different  to  cause  you  not  to  see  the 
impropriety  of  one,  who  is  situated  like  yourself, 
abusing  the  confidence  of  a  parent,  by  making  such  a 
proposal  to  a  daughter  without  her  father's  knowledge ; 
and,  on  that  point,  I  shall  say  nothing.  But  as  you 


332  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

have  done  me  the  honour  of  making  me  a  very  une 
quivocal  offer  of  your  hand,  I  wish  that  the  answer 
may  be  as  distinct  as  the  proposal.  I  decline  the  ad 
vantage  and  happiness  of  becoming  your  wife,  sir " 

"  Time  flies,  Miss  Eve  !" 

"Time  does  fly,  Mr.  Bragg;  and,  if  you  remain 
much  longer  in  the  employment  of  Mr.  Effingham,  you 
may  lose  an  opportunity  of  advancing  your  fortunes  at 
the  west,  whither. I  understand  it  has  long  been  your 
intention  to  emigrate " 

"  I  will  readily  relinquish  all  my  hopes  at  the  west, 
for  your  sake." 

"  No,  sir,  I  cannot  be  a  party  to  such  a  sacrifice.  I 
will  not  say  forget  me,  but  forget  your  hopes  here,  and 
renew  those  you  have  so  unreflectingly  abandoned  be 
yond  the  Mississippi.  I  shall  not  represent  this  con 
versation  to  Mr.  Effingham  in  a  manner  to  create  any 
unnecessary  prejudices  against  you ;  and  while  I  thank 
you,  as  every  woman  should,  for  an  offer  that  must  in 
fer  some  portion,  at  least,  of  your  good  opinion,  you 
will  permit  me  again  to  wish  you  all  lawful  success  in 
your  western  enterprises." 

Eve  gave  Mr.  Bragg  no  farther  opportunity  to 
renew  his  suit ;  for,  she  curtsied  and  left  him,  as  she 
ceased  speaking.  Mr.  Dodge,  who  had  been  a  distant 
observer  of  the  interview,  now  hastened  to  join  his 
friend,  curious  to  know  the  result,  for  it  had  been  pri 
vately  arranged  between  these  modest  youths,  that 
each  should  try  his  fortune  in  turn,  with  the  heiress, 
did  she  not  accept  the  first  proposal.  To  the  chagrin 
of  Steadfast,  and  probably  to  the  reader's  surprise, 
Arista bulus  informed  his  friend  that  Eve's  manner  and 
language  had  been  full  of  encouragement. 

"She  thanked  me  for  the  offer,  Mr.  Dodge,"  he 
said,  "  and  her  wishes  for  my  future  prosperity  at  the 
west,  were  warm  and  repeated.  Eve  Effingham  is, 
indeed,  a  charming  creature !" 

*'  At  the  west !    Perhaps  she  meant  differently  from 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  333 

what  you  imagine.  I  know  her  well ;  the  girl  is  full 
of  art." 

"  Art,  sir !  she  spoke  as  plainly  as  woman  could 
speak,  and  I  repeat  that  I  feel  considerably  encouraged. 
It  is  something,  to  have  had  so  plain  a  conversation 
with  Eve  Effingham." 

Mr.  Dodge  swallowed  his  discontent,  and  the  whole 
party  soon  embarked,  to  return  to  the  village;  the 
commodore  and  general  taking  a  boat  by  themselves, 
in  order  to  bring  their  discussions  on  human  affairs  in 
general,  to  a  suitable  close. 

That  night,  Sir  George  Templemore,  asked  an 
interview  with  Mr.  Effingham,  when  the  latter  was 
alone  in  his  library. 

'*  I  sincerely  hope  this  request  is  not  the  forerunner 
of  a  departure,"  said  the  host  kindly,  as  the  young 
man  entered,  "  in  which  case  I  shall  regard  you  as  one 
unmindful  of  the  hopes  he  has  raised.  You  stand 
pledged  by  implication,  if  not  in  words,  to  pass  another 
month  with  us." 

"  So  far  from  entertaining  an  intention  so  faithless, 
my  dear  sir,  I  am  fearful  that  you  may  think  I  trespass 
too  far  on  your  hospitality." 

He  then  communicated  his  wish  to  be  allowed  to 
make  Grace  Van  Cortlandt  his  wife.  Mr.  Effingham 
heard  him  with  a  smile,  that  showed  he  was  not  alto 
gether  unprepared  for  such  a  demand,  and  his  eye 
glistened  as  he  squeezed  the  other's  hand. 

"  Take  her  with  all  my  heart,  Sir  George,"  he  said, 
"  but  remember  you  are  transferring  a  tender  plant  into 
a  strange  soil.  There  are  not  many  of  your  country 
men  to  whom  I  would  confide  such  a  trust,  for  I  know 
the  risk  they  run  who  make  ill-assorted  unions— — " 

"  Ill-assorted  unions,  Mr.  Effingham  !" 

"  Yours  will  not  be  one,  in  the  ordinary  acceptation 
of  the  term,  I  know ;  for  in  years,  birth  and  fortune,  you 
and  my  dear  niece  are  as  much  on  an  equality  as  can 
be  desired :  but  it  is  too  often  an  ill-assorted  union  for 


334  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

an.  American  woman  to  become  an  English  -wife.  So 
much  depends  on  the  man,  that  with  one  in  whom  I 
have  less  confidence  than  I  have  in  you,  I  might  justly 
hesitate.  I  shall  take  a  guardian's  privilege,  though 
Grace  be  her  own  mistress,  and  give  you  one  solemn 
piece  of  advice — always  respect  the  country  of  the 
woman  you  have  thought  worthy  to  bear  your  name." 

"  I  hope  always  to  respect  every  thing  that  is  hers ; 
but,  why  this  particular  caution  ? — Miss  Van  Cortlandt 
is  almost  English  in  her  heart." 

"An  affectionate  wife  will  take  her  bias  in  such  mat 
ters,  generally  from  her  husband.  Your  country  will 
be  her  country,  your  God  her  God.  Still,  Sir  George 
Templemore,  a  woman  of  spirit  and  sentiment  can 
never  wholly  forget  the  land  of  her  birth.  You  love 
us  not  in  England,  and  one  who  settles  there  will  often 
have  occasion  to  hear  gibes  and  sneers  on  the  land  from 
which  she  came " 

"  Good  God,  Mr.  Effingham,  you  do  not  think  I  shall 
take  my  wife  into  society  where " 

"  Bear  with  a  proser's  doubts,  Templemore.  You 
will  do  all  that  is  well-intentioned  and  proper,  I  dare 
say,  in  the  usual  acceptation  of  the  words ;  but  I  wish 
you  to  do  more ;  that  which  is  wise.  Grace  has  now 
a  sincere  reverence  and  respect  for  England,  feelings 
that  in  many  particulars  are  sustained  by  the  facts, 
and  will  be  permanent;  but,  in  some  things,  obser 
vation,  as  it  usually  happens  with  the  young  and  san 
guine,  will  expose  the  mistakes  into  which  she  has  been 
led  by  enthusiasm  and  the  imagination.  As  she  knows 
other  countries  better,  she  will  come  to  regard  her 
own  with  more  favourable  and  discriminating  eyes, 
losing  her  sensitiveness  on  account  of  peculiarities  she 
now  esteems,  and  taking  new  views  of  things.  Per 
haps  you  will  think  me  selfish,  but  I  shall  add,  also, 
that  if  you  wish  to  cure  your  wife  of  any  homesick 
ness,  the  surest  mode  will  be  to  bring  her  back  to 
her  native  land." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  335 

"Nay,  my  dear  sir,"  said  Sir  George,  laughing, 
"  this  is  very  much  like  acknowledging  its  blemishes." 

"  I  am  aware  it  has  that  appearance,  and  yet  the 
fact  is  otherwise.  The  cure  is  as  certain  with  the 
Englishman  as  with  the  American ;  and  with  the  Ger 
man  as  with  either.  It  depends  on  a  general  law, 
which  causes  us  all  to  over-estimate  by-gone  plea 
sures  and  distant  scenes,  and  to  undervalue  those  of 
the  present  moment.  You  know  I  have  always  main 
tained  there  is  no  real  philosopher  short  of  fifty,  nor 
any  taste  worth  possessing  that  is  a  dozen  years  old." 

Here  Mr.  Effingham  rang  the  bell,  and  desired 
Pierre  to  request  Miss  Van  Cortlandt  to  join  him  in 
the  library.  Grace  entered  blushing  and  shy,  but  with 
a  countenance  beaming  with  inward  peace.  Her 
uncle  regarded  her  a  moment  intently,  and  a  tear  glis 
tened  in  his  eye,  again,  as  he  tenderly  kissed  her  burn 
ing  cheek. 

"God  bless  you,  love,"  he  said  —  "'tis  a  fearful 
change  for  your  sex,  and  yet  you  all  enter  into  it  radiant 
•with  hope,  and  noble  in  your  confidence.  Take  her, 
Templemore,"  giving  her  hand  to  the  baronet,  "  and 
deal  kindly  by  her.  You  will  not  desert  us  entirely. 
I  trust  I  shall  see  you  both  once  more  in  the  Wigwam 
before  I  die." 

"  Uncle — uncle — "  burst  from  Grace,  as,  drowned 
in  tears,  she  threw  herself  into  Mr.  Effingham's  arms ; 
"I  am  an  ungrateful  girl,  thus  to  abandon  all  my 
natural  friends.  I  have  acted  wrong " 

"  Wrong,  dearest  Miss  Van  Cortlandt !" 

"  Selfishly,  then,  Sir  George  Templemore,"  the  sim 
ple-hearted  girl  ingenuously  added,  scarcely  knowing 
how  much  her  words  implied — "  Perhaps  this  matter 
might  be  reconsidered." 

"I  am  afraid  little  would  be  gained  by  that,  my 
love,"  returned  the  smiling  uncle,  wiping  his  eyes  at 
the  same  instant.  "  The  second  thoughts  of  ladies 
usually  confirm  the  first,  in  such  matters.  God  bless 


HOME   AS    FOUND. 

you,  Grace ; — Templemore,  may  Heaven  have  you, 
too,  in  its  holy  keeping.  Remember  what  I  have  said, 
and  to-morrow  we  will  converse  further  on  the  subject. 
Does  Eve  know  of  this,  my  niece1?" 

The  colour  went  and  came  rapidly  in  Grace's 
cheek,  and  she  looked  to  the  floor,  abashed. 

"We  ought  then  to  send  for  her,"  resumed  Mr. 
Effingham,  again  reaching  towards  the*  bell. 

"  Uncle — "  and  Grace  hurriedly  interposed,  in  time 
to  save  the  string  from  being  pulled.  "  Could  I  keep 
such  an  important  secret  from  my  dearest  cousin !" 

"  I  find  that  I  am  the  last  in  the  secret,  as  is  gene 
rally  the  case  with  old  fellows,  and  I  believe  I  am  even 
now  de  trop." 

Mr.  Effingham  kissed  Grace  again  affectionately, 
and,  although  she  strenuously  endeavoured  to  detain 
him,  he  left  the  room. 

"  We  must  follow,"  said  Grace,  hastily  wiping  her 
eyes,  and  rubbing  the  traces  of  tears  from  her  cheeks 
— "Excuse  me,  Sir  George  Templemore;  will  you 
open " 

He  did,  though  it  was  not  the  door,  but  his  arms. 
Grace  seemed  like  one  that  was  rendered  giddy  by 
standing  on  a  precipice,  but  when  she  fell,  the  young 
baronet  was  at  hand  to  receive  her.  Instead  of  quitting 
the  library  that  instant,  the  bell  had  announced  the 
appearance  of  the  supper-tray,  before  she  remembered 
that  she  had  so  earnestly  intended  to  do  so. 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  33*7 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


"  This  day,  no  man  thinks 
He  has  business  at  his  house." 

KINO  HENRY  VIII. 


THE  warm  weather,  which  was  always  a  little  be 
hind  that  of  the  lower  counties,  had  now  set  in  among 
the  mountains,  and  the  season  had  advanced  into  the 
first  week  in  July.  "  Independence  Day,"  as  the  fourth 
of  that  month  is  termed  by  the  Americans,  arrived ; 
and  the  wits  of  Templeton  were  taxed,  as  usual,  in 
order  that  the  festival  might  be  celebrated  with  the 
customary  intellectual  and  moral  treat.  The  morning 
commenced  with  a  parade  of  the  two  or  three  uni 
formed  companies  of  the  vicinity,  much  gingerbread 
and  spruce-beer  were  consumed  in  the  streets,  no  light 
potations  of  wrhiskey  were  swallowed  in  the  groceries, 
and  a  great  variety  of  drinks,  some  of  which  bore 
very  ambitious  names,  shared  the  same  fate  in  the 
taverns. 

Mademoiselle  Viefville  had  been  told  that  this  was 
the  great  American  fete;  the  festival  of  the  nation ;  and 
she  appeared  that  morning  in  gay  ribands,  and  with 
her  bright,  animated  face,  covered  with  smiles  for  the 
occasion.  To  her  surprise,  however,  no  one  seemed 
to  respond  to  her  feelings ;  and  as  the  party  rose  from 
the  breakfast-table,  she  took  an  opportunity  to  ask  an 
explanation  of  Eve,  in  a  little  *  aside.' 

"  Est-ce  queje  me  suis  trompee,  ma  chere  ?"  demand 
ed  the  lively  Frenchwoman.  "  Is  not  this  la  celebra 
tion  de  votre  independance  ?" 

"You  are  not   mistaken,  my  dear   Mademoiselle 
Viefville,  and  great  preparations  are  made  to  do  it 
honour.     I  understand  there  is  to  be  a  military  pa 
rade,  an  oration,  a  dinner,  and  fire-works." 
29 


338  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  Monsieur  votre  pere ?" 

"  Monsieur  mon  pere  is  not  much  given  to  rejoicings, 
and  he  takes  this  annual  joy,  much  as  a  valetudinarian 
takes  his  morning  draught." 

"  Et  Monsieur  Jean  Effingham ?" 

"  Is  always  a  philosopher ;  you  are  to  expect  no  an 
tics  from  him." 

"  Mais  ces  jeunes  gens,  Monsieur  Bragg,  Monsieur 
Dodge,  et  Monsieur  Powis,  meme  /" 

"  Se  rejouissent  en  Jlmericains.  I  presume  you  are 
aware  that  Mr.  Powis  has  declared  himself  to  be  an 
American  ?' 

Mademoiselle  Viefville  looked  towards  the  streets, 
along  which  divers  tall,  sombre-looking  countrymen, 
with  faces  more  lugubrious  than  those  of  the  mutes 
of  a  funeral,  were  sauntering,  with  a  desperate  air  of 
enjoyment;  and  she  shrugged  her  shoulders,  as  she 
muttered  to  herself,  "  que  ces  Jlmericains  sont  droles  /" 

At  a  later  hour,  however,  Eve  surprised  her  father, 
and  indeed  most  of  the  Americans  of  the  party,  by 
proposing  that  the  ladies  should  walk  out  into  the 
street,  and  witness  the  fete. 

"  My  child,  this  is  a  strange  proposition  to  come 
from  a  young  lady  of  twenty,"  said  her  father. 

"  Why  strange,  dear  sir  1 — We  always  mingled  in 
the  village  fetes  in  Europe." 

"  Certainement"  cried  the  delighted  Mademoiselle 
Viefville  ;  "  c'est  de  rigueur,  meme" 

"And  it  is  de  rigueur,  here,  Mademoiselle,  for 
young  ladies  to  keep  out  of  them,"  put  in  John  Effing- 
ham.  "  I  should  be  very  sorry  to  see  either  of  you 
three  ladies  in  the  streets  of  Templeton  to-day." 

"  Why  so,  cousin  Jack  ?  Have  we  any  thing  to  fear 
from  the  rudeness  of  our  countrymen  ?  I  have  always 
understood,  on  the  contrary,  that  in  no  other  part  of 
the  world  is  woman  so  uniformly  treated  with  respect 
and  kindness,  as  in  this  very  republic  of  ours ;  and 
yet,  by  all  these  ominous  faces,  I  perceive  that  it  will 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  339 

not  do  for  her  to  trust  herself  in  the  streets  of  a  vil 
lage  on  a  festa" 

"  You  are  not  altogether  wrong,  in  what  you  now 
say,  Miss  Effingham,  nor  are  you  wholly  right.  Wo 
man,  as  a  whole,  is  well  treated  in  America ;  and  yet 
it  will  not  do  for  a  lady  to  mingle  in  scenes  like  these, 
as  ladies  may  and  do  mingle  with  them  in  Europe." 

"  I  have  heard  this  difference  accounted  for,"  said 
Paul  Powis,  "  by  the  fact  that  women  have  no  legal 
rank  in  this  country.  In  those  nations  where  the  sta 
tion  of  a  lady  is  protected  by  legal  ordinances,  it  is 
said  she  may  descend  with  impunity;  but,  in  this, 
where  all  are  equal  before  the  law,  so  many  misunder 
stand  the  real  merits  of  their  position,  that  she  is  obliged 
to  keep  aloof  from  any  collisions  with  those  who  might 
be  disposed  to  mistake  their  own  claims." 

"  But  I  wish  for  no  collisions,  no  associations,  Mr. 
Powis,  but  simply  to  pass  through  the  streets,  with  my 
cousin  and  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  to  enjoy  the  sight 
of  the  rustic  sports,  as  one  would  do  in  France,  or 
Italy,  or  even  in  republican  Switzerland,  if  you  insist 
on  a  republican  example." 

"  Rustic  sports !"  repeated  Aristabulus  with  a  fright 
ened  look — "the  people  will  not  bear  to  hear  their 
sports  called  rustic,  Miss  Effingham." 

"  Surely,  sir," — Eve  never  spoke  to  Mr.  Bragg,  now, 
without  using  a  repelling  politeness — "  surely,  sir,  the 
people  of  these  mountains  will  hardly  pretend  that 
their  sports  are  those  of  a  capital." 

"I  merely  mean,  ma'am,  that  the  term  would  be 
monstrously  unpopular ;  nor  do  I  see  why  the  sports 
in  a  city" — Aristabulus  was  much  too  peculiar  in  his 
notions,  to  call  any  place  that  had  a  mayor  and  alder 
men  a  town, — "  should  not  be  just  as  rustic  as  those 
of  a  village.  The  contrary  supposition  violates  the 
principle  of  equality." 

"  And  do  you  decide  against  us,  dear  sir?"  Eve  added, 
looking  at  Mr.  Effingham. 


340  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  Without  stopping  to  examine  causes,  my  child,  I 
shall  say  that  I  think  you  had  better  all  remain  at 
home."  ' 

"  Voila,  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  unefete  Americaine!" 

A  shrug  of  the  shoulders  was  the  significant  reply. 

"  Nay,  rny  daughter,  you  are  not  entirely  excluded 
from  the  festivities ;  all  gallantry  has  not  quite  deserted 
the  tend." 

*•  A  young  lady  shall  walk  alone  with  a  young  gen 
tleman — shall  ride  alone  with  him — shall  drive  out 
alone  with  him — shall  not  move  without  him,  dans  le 
monde,  mais,  she  shall  not  walk  in  the  crowd,  to  look 
at  une  fete  avec  son  pere  /"  exclaimed  Mademoiselle 
Viefville,  in  her  imperfect  English.  "Je  dtsespere, 
vraiment,  to  understand  some  habitudes  Jlmericaines  /" 

"  Well,  Mademoiselle,  that  you  may  not  think  us  al 
together  barbarians,  you  shall,  at  least,  have  the  benefit 
of  the  oration." 

"  You  may  well  call  it  the  oration,  Ned ;  for,  I  believe 
one,  or,  certainly  one  skeleton,  has  served  some  thou 
sand  orators  annually,  any  time  these  sixty  years." 

"  Of  this  skeleton,  then,  the  ladies  shall  have  the 
benefit.  The  procession  is  about  to  form,  I  hear ;  and 
by  getting  ready  immediately,  we  shall  be  just  in  time 
to  obtain  good  seats." 

Mademoiselle  Viefville  was  delighted  ;  for,  after  try 
ing  the  theatres,  the  churches,  sundry  balls,  the  opera, 
and  all  the  admirable  gaieties  of  New-York,  she  had 
reluctantly  come  to  the  conclusion  that  America  was  a 
very  good  country  pour  s'ennuyer,  and  for  very  little 
else;  but  here  was  the  promise  of  a  novelty.  The 
ladies  completed  their  preparations,  and,  accord 
ingly,  attended  by  all  the  gentlemen,  made  their  ap 
pearance  in  the  assembly,  at  the  appointed  hour. 

The  orator,  who,  as  usual,  was  a  lawyer,  was  al 
ready  in  possession  of  the  pulpit,  for  one  of  the  village 
churches  had  been  selected  as  the  scene  of  the  cere 
monies.  He  was  a  young  man,  who  had  recently  been 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  341 

called  to  the  bar,  it  being  as  much  in  rule  for  the  legal 
tyro  to  take  off  the  wire-edge  of  his  wit  in  a  Fourth 
of  July  oration,  as  it  was  formerly  for  a  Mousquetaire 
to  prove  his  spirit  in  a  duel.  The  academy  which, 
formerly,  was  a  servant  of  all  work  to  the  public,  be 
ing  equally  used  for  education,  balls,  preaching,  town- 
meetings,  and  caucuses,  had  shared  the  fate  of  most 
American  edifices  in  wood,  having  lived  its  hour  and 
been  burned ;  and  the  collection  of  people,  whom  we 
have  formerly  had  occasion  to  describe,  appeared  to 
have  also  vanished  from  the  earth,  for  nothing  could 
be  less  alike  in  exterior,  at  least,  than  those  who  had 
assembled  under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Grant,  and  their 
successors,  who  were  now  collected  to  listen  to  the 
wisdom  of  Mr.  Writ.  Such  a  thing  as  a  coat  of  two 
generations  was  no  longer  to  be  seen  ;  the  latest  fash 
ion,  or  what  was  thought  to  be  the  latest  fashion,  be 
ing  as  rigidly  respected  by  the  young  farmer,  or  the 
young  mechanic,  as  by  the  more  admitted  bucks,  the 
law  student,  and  the  village  shop-boy.  All  the  red 


cloaks  had  long  since  been  laid  aside  to  give  place  to 
imitation  merino  shawls,  or,  in  cases  of  unusual  mode 
ration  and  sobriety,  to  mantles  of  silk.  As  Eve  glanced 
her  eye  around  her,  she  perceived  Tuscan  hats,  bon 
nets  of  gay  colours  and  flowers,  and  dresses  of  French 
chintzes,  where  fifty  years  ago  would  have  been  seen 
even  men's  woollen  hats,  and  homely  English  calicoes. 
It  is  true  that  the  change  among  the  men  was  not  quite 
as  striking,  for  their  attire  admits  of  less  variety ;  but 
the  black  stock  had  superseded  the  check  handkerchief 
and  the  bandanna ;  gloves  had  taken  the  places  of  mit 
tens  ;  and  the  coarse  and  clownish. shoe  of  "  cow-hide" 
was  supplanted  by  the  calf-skin  boot. 

"  Where  are  your  peasants,  your  rustics,  your  milk 
and  dairy  maids — the  people,  in  short " — whispered  Sir 
George  Templemore  to  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  as  they  took 
their  seats ;  "  or  is  this  occasion  thought  to  be  too  in 
tellectual   for  them,   and  the  present  assembly  com 
posed  only  of  the  elite  ?" 
29* 


342  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

"  These  are  the  people,  and  a  pretty  fair  sample,  too, 
of  their  appearance  and  deportment.  Most  of  these  men 
are  what  you  in  England  would  call  operatives,  and 
the  women  are  their  wives,  daughters,  and  sisters." 

The  baronet  said  nothing  at  the  moment,  but  he  sat 
looking  around  him  with  a  curious  eye  for  some  time, 
when  he  again  addressed  his  companion. 

"  I  see  the  truth  of  what  you  say,  as  regards  the 
men,  for  a  critical  eye  can  discover  the  proofs  of  their 
occupations ;  but,  surely,  you  must  be  mistaken  as  re 
spects  your  own  sex ;  there  is  too  much  delicacy  of 
form  and  feature  for  the  class  you  mean." 

"  Nevertheless,  I  have  said  naught  but  truth." 

"  But  look  at  the  hands  and  the  feet,  dear  Mrs.  Bloom- 
field.  Those  are  French  gloves,  too,  or  I  am  mis 
taken." 

"  I  will  not  positively  affirm  that  the  French  gloves 
actually  belong  to  the  dairy-maids,  though  i  have 
known  even  this  prodigy;  but,  rely  on  it,  you  see  here 
the  proper  female  counterparts  of  the  men,  and  singu 
larly  delicate  and  pretty  females  are  they,  for  persons 
of  their  class.  This  is  what  you  call  democratic 
coarseness  and  vulgarity,  Miss  Effingham  tells  me,  in 
England." 

Sir  George  smiled,  but,  as  what  it  is  the  fashion  of 
the  country  to  call  « the  exercises/  just  then  began,  he 
made  no  other  answer. 

These  exercises  commenced  with  instrumental  mu 
sic,  certainly  the  weakest  side  of  American  civiliza 
tion.  That  "of  the  occasion  of  which  we  write,  had 
three  essential  faults,  all  of  which  are  sufficiently  gene 
ral  to  be  termed  characteristic,  in  a  national  point  of 
view.  In  the  first  place,  the  instruments  themselves 
were  bad ;  in  the  next  place,  they  were  assorted  with 
out  any  regard  to  harmony;  and,  in  the  last  place, 
their  owners  did  not  know  how  to  use  them.  As  in 
certain  American  cities — the  word  is  well  applied  here 
• — she  is  esteemed  the  greatest  belle  who  can  contrive 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  343 

to  utter  her  nursery  sentiments  in  the  loudest  voice,  so 
in  Templeton,  was  he  considered  the  ablest  musician 
who  could  give  the  greatest  eclat  to  a  false  note.  In 
a  word,  clamour  was  the  one  thing  needful,  and  as 
regards  time,  that  great  regulator  of  all  harmonies, 
Paul  Powis  whispered  to  the  captain  that  the  air  they 
had  just  been  listening  to,  resembled  what  the  sailors 
call  a  '  round  robin ;'  or  a  particular  mode  of  signing 
complaints  practised  by  seamen,  in  which  the  nicest 
observer  cannot  tell  which  is  the  beginning,  or  which 
the  end. 

It  required  all  the  Parisian  breeding  of  Mademoi 
selle  Viefville  to  preserve  her  gravity  during  this  over 
ture,  though  she  kept  her  bright  animated,  French- 
looking  eyes,  roaming  over  the  assembly,  with  an  air 
of  delight  that,  as  Mr.  Bragg  would  say,  made  her 
very  popular.  No  one  else  in  the  party  from  the  Wig 
wam,  Captain  Truck  excepted,  dared  look  up,  but  each 
kept  his  or  her  eyes  riveted  on  the  floor,  as  if  in  silent 
enjoyment  of  the  harmonies.  As  for  the  honest  old 
seaman,  there  was  as  much  melody  in  the  howling  of 
a  gale  to  his  unsophisticated  ears,  as  in  any  thing  else, 
and  he  saw  no  difference  between  this  feat  of  the  Tem 
pleton  band  and  the  sighings  of  old  Boreas ;  and,  to  say 
the  truth,  our  nautical  critic  was  not  so  much  out  of 
the  way. 

Of  the  oration  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  much, 
for  if  human  nature  is  the  same  in  all  ages,  and  under 
all  circumstances,  so  is  a  fourth  of  July  oration.  There 
were  the  usual  allusions  to  Greece  and  Rome,  between 
the  republics  of  which  and  that  of  this  country  there 
exists  some  such  affinity  as  is  to  be  found  between  a 
horse-chestnut  and  a  chestnut-horse ;  or  that  of  mere 
words :  and  a  long  catalogue  of  national  glories  that 
might  very  well  have  sufficed  for  all  the  republics,  both 
of  antiquity  and  of  our  own  time.  But  when  the  ora 
tor  came  to  speak  of  the  American  character,  and  par 
ticularly  of  the  intelligence  of  the  nation,  he  was  most 


344  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

felicitous,  and  made  the  largest  investments  in  popu- 
.arity.  According  to  his  account  of  the  matter,  no 
other  people  possessed  a  tithe  of  the  knowledge,  or  a 
hundredth  part  of  the  honesty  and  virtue  of  the  very 
community  he  was  addressing ;  and  after  labouring  foi 
ten  minutes  to  convince  his  hearers  that  they  already 
knew  every  thing,  he  wasted  several  more  in  trying  to 
persuade  them  to  undertake  further  acquisitions  of  the 
same  nature. 

"How  much  better  all  this  might  be  made,"  said 
Paul  Powis,  as  the  party  returned  towards  the  Wig 
wam,  when  the  *  exercises'  were  ended,  "by  substi 
tuting  a  little  plain  instruction  on  the  real  nature  and 
obligations  of  the  institutions,  for  so  much  unmeaning 
rhapsody.  Nothing  has  struck  me  with  more  surprise 
and  pain,  than  to  find  how  far,  or  it  might  be  better  to 
say,  how  high,  ignorance  reaches  on  such  subjects, 
and  how  few  men,  in  a  country  where  all  depends  on 
the  institutions,  have  clear  notions  concerning  their 
own  condition." 

"  Certainly  this  is  not  the  opinion  we  usually  enter 
tain  of  ourselves,"  observed  John  Effingham.  "  And 
yet  it  ought  to  be.  I  am  far  from  underrating 
the  ordinary  information  of  the  country,  which,  as  an 
average  information,  is  superior  to  that  of  almost 
every  other  people ;  nor  am  I  one  of  those  who,  ac 
cording  to  the  popular  European  notion,  fancy  the 
Americans  less  gifted  than  common  in  intellect ;  there 
can  be  but  one  truth  in  any  thing,  however,  and  it  falls 
to  the  lot  of  very  few,  any  where,  to  master  it.  The 
Americans,  moreover,  are  a  people  of  facts  and  prac 
tices,  paying  but  little  attention  to  principles,  and 
giving  themselves  the  very  minimum  of  time  for  inves 
tigations  that  lie  beyond  the  reach  of  the  common 
mind  ;  and  it  follows  that  they  know  little  of  that  which 
does  not  present  itself  in  their  every-day  transactions. 
As  regards  the  practice  of  the  institutions,  it  is 
regulated  here,  as  elsewhere,  by  party,  and  party  is 
never  an  honest  or  a  disinterested  expounder." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  345 

"Are  you,  then,  more  than  in  the  common  dilem 
ma,"  asked  Sir  George,  "or  worse  off  than  your 
neighbours  V ' 

"We  are  worse  off  than  our  neighbours,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  it  is  the  intention  of  the  American 
system,  which  has  been  deliberately  framed,  and  which 
is  moreover  the  result  of  a  bargain,  to  carry  out  its 
theory  in  practice;  whereas,  in  countries  where  the 
institutions  are  the  results  of  time  and  accidents,  im 
provement  is  only  obtained  by  innovations.  Party 
invariably  assails  and  weakens  power.  When  power 
is  the  possession  of  a  few,  the  many  gain  by  party ; 
but  when  power  is  the  legal  right  of  the  many,  the 
few  gain  by  party.  Now,  as  party  has  no  ally  as 
strong  as  ignorance  and  prejudice,  a  right  understand 
ing  of  the  principles  of  a  government  is  of  far  more 
importance  in  a  popular  government,  than  in  any 
other.  In  place  of  the  eternal  eulogies  on  facts,  that 
one  hears  on  all  public  occasions  in  this  country,  I 
would  substitute  some  plain  and  clear  expositions  of 
principles ;  or,  indeed,  I  might  say,  of  facts  as  they 
are  connected  with  principles." 

"Mais,  la  musique,  Monsieur,"  interrupted  Made 
moiselle  Viefville,  in  a  way  so  droll  as  to  raise  a  gene 
ral  smile,  ''qu'en  pensez-vous  ?" 

"  That  it  is  music,  my  dear  Mademoiselle,  in  neither 
fact  nor  principle." 

"  It  only  proves  that  a  people  can  be  free,  Mademoi 
selle,"  observed  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  "and  enjoy  fourth 
of  July  orations,  without  having  very  correct  notions 
of  harmony  or  time.  But  do  our  rejoicings  end  here, 
Miss  Effingham  ?" 

"  Not  at  all— there  is  still  something  in  reserve  for 
the  day,  and  all  who  honour  it.  I  am  told  the  even 
ing,  which  promises  to  be  sufficiently  sombre,  is  to 
terminate  with  a  f&e  that  is  peculiar  to  Tempieton, 
and  which  is  called  «  The  Fun  of  Fire.' " 

"  It  is  an  ominous  name,  and  ought  to  be  a  brilliant 
ceremony." 


346  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

As  this  was  uttered,  the  whole  party  entered  the 
Wigwam. 

"  The  Fun  of  Fire'*  took  place,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
at  a  later  hour.  When  night  had  set  in,  every  body 
appeared  in  the  main  street  of  the  village,  a  part  of 
which,  from  its  width  and  form,  was  particularly 
adapted  to  the  sports  of  the  evening.  The  females 
were  mostly  at  the  windows,  or  on  such  elevated  stands 
as  favoured  their  view,  and  the  party  from  the  Wigwam 
occupied  a  large  balcony  that  topped  the  piazza  of  one 
of  the  principal  inns  of  the  place. 

The  sports  of  the  night  commenced  with  rockets,  of 
which  a  few,  that  did  as  much  credit  to  the  climate  as 
to  the  state  of  the  pyrotechnics  of  the  village,  were 
thrown  up,  as  soon  as  the  darkness  had  "become  suffi 
ciently  dense  to  lend  them  brilliancy.  Then  followed 
wheels,  crackers  and  serpents,  all  of  the  most  primitive 
kind,  if,  indeed,  there  be  any  thing  primitive  in  such 
amusements.  The  "  Fun  of  Fire"  was  to  close  the 
rejoicings,  and  it  was  certainly  worth  all  the  other 
sports  of  that  day,  united,  the  gingerbread  and  spruce 
beer  included. 

A  blazing  ball  cast  from  a  shop-door,  was  the  signal 
for  the  commencement  of  the  Fun.  It  was  merely  a 
ball  of  rope-yarn,  or  of  some  other  similar  material, 
saturated  with  turpentine,  and  it  burned  with  a  bright, 
fierce  flame  until  consumed.  As  the  first  of  these  fiery 
meteors  sailed  into  the  street,  a  common  shout  from  the 
boys,  apprentices,  and  young  men,  proclaimed  that  the 
fun  was  at  hand.  It  was  followed  by  several  more, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  entire  area  was  gleaming 
with  glancing  light.  The  whole  of  the  amusement 
consisted  in  tossing  the  fire-balls  with  boldness, 
and  in  avoiding  them  with  dexterity,  something 
like  competition  soon  entering  into  the  business  of  the 
scene. 

The  effect  was  singularly  beautiful.   Groups  of  dark 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  347 

objects  became  suddenly  illuminated,  and  here  a  portion 
of  the  throng  might  be  seen  beneath  a  brightness  like 
that  produced  by  a  bonfire,  while  all  the  back-ground 
of  persons  and  faces  were  gliding  about  in  a  darkness 
that  almost  swallowed  up  a  human  figure.  Suddenly 
all  this  would  be  changed ;  the  brightness  would  pass 
away,  and  a  ball  alighting  in  a  spot  that  had  seemed 
abandoned  to  gloom,  it  would  be  found  peopled  with 
merry  countenances,  and  active  forms.  The  constant 
changes  from  brightness  to  deep  darkness,  with  all  the 
varying  gleams  of  light  and  shadow,  made  the  beauty 
of  the  scene,  which  soon  extorted  admiration  from  all 
in  the  balcony. 

"  Mais,  c'est  charmant  /"  exclaimed  Mademoiselle 
Viefville,  who  was  enchanted  at  discovering  something 
like  gaiety  and  pleasure  among  the  "tristesJfmericains" 
and  who  had  never  even  suspected  them  of  being 
capable  of  so  much  apparent  enjoyment. 

"  These  are  the  prettiest  village  sports  I  have  ever 
witnessed,"  said  Eve,  "  though  a  little  dangerous,  one 
would  think.  There  is  something  refreshing,  as  the 
magazine  writers  term  it,  to  find  one  of  these  miniature 
towns  of  ours  condescending  to  be  gay  and  happy  in 
a  village  fashion.  If  I  were  to  bring  my  strongest 
objection  to  American  country  life,  it  would  be  its  am 
bitious  desire  to  ape  the  towns,  converting  the  ease 
and  abandon  of  a  village,  into  the  formality  and  stiff 
ness  that  render  children  in  the  clothes  of  grown  peo 
ple  so  absurdly  ludicrous." 

"  What !"  exclaimed  John  Effingham  ;  "  do  you 
fancy  it  possible  to  reduce  a  free-man  so  low,  as  to 
deprive  him  of  his  stilts !  No,  no,  young  lady ;  you 
are  now  in  a  country  where  if  you  have  two  rows  of 
flounces  on  your  frock,  your  maid  will  make  it  a  point 
to  have  three,  by  way  of  maintaining  the  equilibrium. 
This  is  the  noble  ambition  of  liberty." 

"  Annette's  foible  is  a  love  of  flounces,  cousin  Jack, 
and  you  have  drawn  that  image  from  your  eye,  instead 


348  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

of  your  imagination.     It  is  a  French,  as  well  as  an 
American  ambition,  if  ambition  it  be." 

"  Let  it  be  drawn  whence  it  may,  it  is  true.  Have 
you  not  remarked,  Sir  George  Templemore,  that  the 
Americans  will  not  even  bear  the  ascendency  of  a 
capital  ?  Formerly,  Philadelphia,  then  the  largest  town 
in  the  country,  was  the  political  capital ;  but  it  was  too 
much  for  any  one  community  to  enjoy  the  united  con 
sideration  that  belongs  to  extent  and  politics ;  and  so 
the  honest  public  went  to  work  to  make  a  capital,  that 
should  have  nothing  else  in  its  favour,  but  the  naked 
fact  that  it  was  the  seat  of  government,  and  I  think  it 
will  be  generally  allowed,  that  they  have  succeeded  to 
admiration.  I  fancy  Mr.  Dodge  will  admit  that  it 
would  be  quite  intolerable,  that  country  should  not  be 
town,  and  town  country." 

"  This  is  a  land  of  equal  rights,  Mr.  John  Effingham, 

and  I  confess  that  I  see   no  claims  that  New-York 

possesses,  which  does  not  equally  belong  to  Templeton." 

"  Do  you  hold,  sir,"  inquired  Captain  Truck,  "  that 

a  ship  is  a  brig,  and  a  brig  a  ship." 

"  The  case  is  different ;  Templeton  is  a  town,  is  it 
not,  Mr.  John  Effingham  V 

"  A  town,  Mr.  Dodge,  but  not  town.  The  difference 
is  essential." 

"I  do  not  see  it,  sir.  Now,  New-York,  to  mj 
notion  is  not  a  town,  but  a  city" 

"  Ah !  This  is  the  critical  acumen  of  the  editor ! 
But  you  should  be  indulgent,  Mr.  Dodge,  to  us  laymen, 
who  pick  up  our  phrases  by  merely  wandering  about 
the  world  ;  or  in  the  nursery  perhaps,  while  you,  of  the 
favoured  few,  by  living  in  the  condensation  of  a  pro 
vince,  obtain  a  precision  and  accuracy  to  which  we 
can  lay  no  claim." 

The  darkness  prevented  the  editor  of  the  Active  In 
quirer  from  detecting  the  genera/  smile,  and  he  re 
mained  in  happy  ignorance  of  the  feeling  that  produced 
it  To  say  the  truth,  not  the  smallest  of  the  besetting 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  349 

vices  of  Mr.  Dodge  had  their  foundation  in  a  provin 
cial  education,  and  in  provincial  notions ;  the  invariable 
tendency  of  both  being  to  persuade  their  subject  that 
he  is  always  right,  while  all  opposed  to  him  in  opinion 
are  wrong.  That  well-known  line  of  Pope,  in  which 
the  poet  asks,  "  what  can  we  reason,  but  from  what 
we  know  ?"  contains  the  principle  of  half  our  foibles 
and  faults,  and  perhaps  explains  fully  that  proportion 
of , those  of  Mr.  Dodge,  to  say  nothing  of  those  of  no 
small  number  of  his  countrymen.  There  are  limits  to 
the  knowledge,  and  tastes,  and  habits  of  every  man, 
and,  as  each  is  regulated  by  the  opportunities  of  the 
individual,  it  follows  of  necessity,  that  no  one  can  have 
a  standard  much  above  his  own  experience.  That 
an  isolated  and  remote  people  should  be  a  provincial 
people,  or,  in  other  words,  a  people  of  narrow  and 
peculiar  practices  and  opinions,  is  as  unavoidable  as 
that  study  should  make  a  scholar ;  though  in  the  case 
of  America,  the  great  motive  for  surprise  is  to  be  found 
in  the  fact  that  causes  so  very  obvious  should  produce 
so  little  effect.  When  compared  with  the  bulk  of 
other  nations,  the  Americans,  though  so  remote  and 
insulated,  are  scarcely  provincial,  for  it  is  only  when 
the  highest  standard  of  this  nation  is  compared  with 
the  highest  standard  of  other  nations,  that  we  detect 
the  great  deficiency  that  actually  exists.  That  a  moral 
foundation  so  broad  should  uphold  a  moral  superstruc 
ture  so  narrow,  is  owing  to  the  circumstance  that  the 
popular  sentiment  rules,  and  as  every  thing  is  referred 
to  a  body  of  judges  that,  in  the  nature  of  things,  must 
be  of  very  limited  and  superficial  attainments,  it  can 
not  be  a  matter  of  wonder  to  the  reflecting,  that  the 
decision  shares  in  the  qualities  of  the  tribunal.  In 
America,  the  gross  mistake  has  been  made  of  suppo 
sing,  that,  because  the  mass  rules  in  a  political  sense, 
It  has  a  right  to  be  listened  to  and  obeyed  in  all  other 
matters,  a  practical  deduction  that  can  only  lead,  under 
the  most  favourable  exercise  of  power,  to  a  very  hum- 
30 


350  HOME  AS   FOUND. 

ble  mediocrity.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  that  time,  and  a 
greater  concentration  of  taste,  liberality,  and  know 
ledge  than  can  well  distinguish  a  young  "and  scattered 
population,  will  repair  this  evil,  and  that  our  children 
will  reap  the  harvest  of  the  broad  fields  of  intelligence 
that  have  been  sowed  by  ourselves.  In  the  mean 
time,  the  present  generation  must  endure  that  which 
cannot  easily  be  cured ;  and,  among  its  other  evils,  it 
will  have  to  submit  to  a  great  deal  of  very  question 
able  information,  not  a  few  false  principles,  and  an  un 
pleasant  degree  of  intolerant  and  narrow  bigotry, 
that  are  propagated  by  such  apostles  of  liberty  and 
learning  as  Steadfast  Dodge,  Esquire. 

We  have  written  in  vain,  if  it  now  be  necessary  to 
point  out  a  multitude  of  things  in  which  that  professed 
instructor  and  Mentor  of  the  public,  the  editor  of  the 
Active  Inquirer,  had  made  a  false  estimate  of  himself, 
as  well  as  of  his  fellow-creatures.  That  such  a  man 
should  be  ignorant,  is  to  be  expected,  as  he  had  never 
been  instructed ;  that  he  was  self-sufficient  was  owing 
to  his  ignorance,  which  oftener  induces  vanity  than 
modesty ;  that  he  was  intolerant  and  bigoted,  follows 
as  a  legitimate  effect  of  his  provincial  and  contracted 
habits;  that  he  was  a  hypocrite,  came  from  his  ho 
mage  of  the  people ;  and  that  one  thus  constituted, 
should  be  permitted,  periodically,  to  pour  out  his  va 
pidity,  folly,  malice,  envy,  and  ignorance,  on  his  fellow- 
creatures,  in  the  columns  of  a  newspaper,  was  owing 
to  a  state  of  society  in  which  the  truth  of  the  whole 
some  adage  "  that  what  is  every  man's  business  is  no 
body's  business,"  is  exemplified  not  only  daily,  but 
hourly,  in  a  hundred  other  interests  of  equal  magni- 
tuie,  as  well  as  to  a  capital  mistake,  that  leads  the 
community  to  fancy  that  whatever  is  done  in  their 
name,  is  done  for  their  good. 

As  the  "Fun  of  Fire"  had,  by  this  time,  exhibited 
most  of  its  beauties,  the  party  belonging  to  the  Wig 
wam  left  the  balcony,  and,  the  evening  proving  mild, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  351 

they  walked  into  the  grounds  of  the  building,  where 
they  naturally  broke  into  groups,  conversing  on  the 
incidents  of  the  day,  or  of  such  other  matters  as  came 
uppermost.  Occasionally,  gleams  of  light  were  thrown 
across  them  from  a  fire-ball ;  or  a  rocket's  starry  train 
was  still  seen  drawn  in  the  air,  resembling  the  wake 
of  a  ship  at  night,  as  it  wades  through  the  ocean. 


CHAPTEE  XXII. 


Gentle  Octavia, 

Let  your  best  love  draw  to  that  point,' which  seeks 
But  to  preserve  it. 

ANTONY  AND  CLEOPATRA. 

WE  shall  not  say  it  was  an  accident  that  brought 
Paul  and  Eve  side  by  side,  and  a  little  separated  from 
the  others ;  for  a  secret  sympathy  had  certainly  exer 
cised  its  influence  over  both,  and  probably  contributed 
as  much  as  any  thing  else  towards  bringing  about  the 
circumstance.  Although  the  Wigwam  stood  in  the 
centre  of  the  village,  its  grounds  covered  several  acres, 
and  were  intersected  with  winding  walks,  and  orna 
mented  with  shrubbery,  in  the  well-known  English 
style,  improvements  also  of  John  Effingham  ;  for,  while 
the  climate  and  forests  of  America  offer  so  many  in 
ducements  to  encourage  landscape  gardening,  it  is  the 
branch  of  art  that,  of  all  the  other  ornamental*  arts,  is 
perhaps  the  least  known  in  this  country.  It  is  true, 
time  had  not  yet  brought  the  labours  of  the  projector  to 
perfection,  in  this  instance ;  but  enough  had  been  done 
to  afford  very  extensive,  varied,  and  pleasing  walks. 
The  grounds  were  broken,  and  John  Effingham  had 
turned  the  irregularities  to  good  account,  by  planting 
and  leading  paths  among  them,  to  the  great  amuse 
ment  of  the  lookers-on,  however,  who,  like  true  disci- 


352  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

pies  of  the  Manhattanese  economy,  had  already  begun 
to  calculate  the  cost  of  what  they  termed  grading  the 
lawns,  it  being  with  them  as  much  a  matter  of  course 
to  bring  pleasure  grounds  down  to  a  mathematical  sur 
face,  as  to  bring  a  rail-road  route  down  to  the  proper 
level. 

Through  these  paths,  and  among  the  irregularities, 
groves,  and  shrubberies,  just  mentioned,  the  party  be 
gan  to  stroll ;  one  group  taking  a  direction  eastward, 
another  south,  and  a  third  westward,  in  a  way  soon  to 
break  them  up  into  five  or  six  different  divisions. 
These  several  portions  of  the  company  ere  long  got 
to  move  in  opposite  directions,  by  taking  the  various 
paths,  and  while  they  frequently  met,  they  did  not 
often  re-unite.  As  has  been  already  intimated,  Eve 
and  Paul  were  alone,  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives, 
under  circumstances  that  admitted  of  an  uninterrupted 
confidential  conversation.  Instead  of  profiting  imme 
diately,  however,  by  this  unusual  occurrence,  as  many 
of  our  readers  may  anticipate,  the  young  man  con 
tinued  the  discourse,  in  which  the  whole  party  had 
been  engaged  when  they  entered  the  gate  that  commu 
nicated  with  the  street. 

"  I  know  not  whether  you  felt  the  same  embarrass 
ment  as  myself,  to-day,  Miss  Effingham,"  he  said, 
"  when  the  orator  was  dilating  on  the  glories  of  the  re 
public,  and  on  the  high  honours  that  accompany  the 
American  name.  Certainly,  though  a  pretty  extensive 
traveller,  I  have  never  yet  been  able  to  discover  that 
it  is  any  advantage  abroad  to  be  one  of  the  *  fourteen 
millions  of  freemen.'" 

"  Are  we  to  attribute  the  mystery  that  so  long  hung 
over  your  birth-place,  to  this  fact,"  Eve  asked,  a  little 
pointedly. 

"  If  I  have  made  any  seeming  mystery,  as  to  the 
place  of  my  birth,  it  has  been  involuntary  on  my  part, 
Miss  Effingham,  so  far  as  you,  at  least,  have  been 
concerned.  I  may  not  have  thought  myself  authorized 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  353 

to  introduce  my  own  history  into  our  little  discussions, 
but  I  am  not  conscious  of  aiming  at  any  unusual  con 
cealments.  At  Vienna,  and  in  Switzerland,  we  met 
as  travellers  ;  and  now  that  you  appear  disposed  to  ac 
cuse  me  of  concealment,  I  may  retort,  and  say  that, 
neither  you  nor  your  father  ever  expressly  stated  in 
my  presence  that  you  were  Americans." 

"  Was  that  necessary,  Mr.  Powis  1" 

"Perhaps  not;  and  I  am  wrong  to  draw  a  com 
parison  between  my  own  insignificance,  and  the  eclat 
that  attended  you  and  your  movements." 

"  Nay,"  interrupted  Eve,  "  do  not  misconceive  me. 
My  father  felt  an  interest  in  you,  quite  naturally,  after 
what  had  occurred  on  the  lake  of  Lucerne,  and  I  be 
lieve  "he  was  desirous  of  making  you  out  a  country 
man, — a  pleasure  that  he  has  at  length  received." 

"  To  own  the  truth,  I  was  never  quite  certain,  until 
my  last  visit  to  England,  on  which  side  of  the  At 
lantic  I  was  actually  born,  and  to  this  uncertainty, 
perhaps,  may  be  attributed  some  of  that  cosmopolitism 
to  which  I  made  so  many  high  pretensions  in  our  late 
passage." 

"  Not  know  where  you  were  born  !"  exclaimed  Eve, 
with  an  involuntary  haste,  that  she  immediately  re 
pented. 

"  This,  no  doubt,  sounds  odd  to  you,  Miss  Effing- 
ham,  who  have  always  been  the  pride  and  solace  of  a 
most  affectionate  father,  but  it  has  never  been  my  good 
fortune  to  know  either  parent.  My  mother,  who  was 
the  sister  of  Ducie's  mother,  died  at  my  birth,  and  the 
loss  of  my  father  even  preceded  hers.  I  may  be  said 
to  have  been  born  an  orphan." 

Eve,  for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  had  taken  his  arm, 
and  the  young  man  felt  the  gentle  pressure  of  her 
little  hand,  as  she  permitted  this  expression  of  sym 
pathy  to  escape  her,  at  a  moment  she  found  so  in 
tensely  interesting  to  herself. 

"  It  was,  indeed,  a  misfortune,  Mr.  Powis,  and  I  fear 
30  * 


354  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

you  were  put  into  the  navy  through  the  want  of  those 
who  would  feel  a  natural  concern  in  your  welfare." 

"  The  navy  was  my  own  choice  ;  partly,  I  think, 
from  a  certain  love  of  adventure,  and  quite  as  much, 
perhaps,  with  a  wish  to  settle  the  question  of  my  birth 
place,  practically  at  least,  by  enlisting  in  the  service 
of  the  one  that  I  first  knew,  and  certainly  best  loved." 

"  But  of  that  birth-place,  I  understand  there  is  now 
no  doubt  V9  said  Eve,  with  more  interest  than  she  was 
herself  conscious  of  betraying. 

"  None  whatever ;  I  am  a  native  of  Philadelphia ; 
that  point  was  conclusively  settled  in  my  late  visit  to 
my  aunt,  Lady  Dunluce,  who  was  present  at  my  birth." 

"  Is  Lady  Dunluce  also  an  American  ?" 

"  She  is ;  never  having  quitted  the  country  until  after 
her  marriage  to  Colonel  Ducie.  She  was  a  younger 
sister  of  my  mother's,  and,  notwithstanding  some  jea 
lousies  and  a  little  coldness  that  I  trust  have  now  dis 
appeared,  I  am  of  opinion  she  loved  her ;  though  one 
can  hardly  answer  for  the  durability  of  the  family  ties 
in  a  country  where  the  institutions  and  habits  are  as 
artificial  as  in  England." 

"  Do  you  think  there  is  less  family  affection,  then,  in 
England  than  in  America  ?" 

"  I  will  not  exactly  say  as  much,  though  I  am  of 
opinion  .that  neither  country  is  remarkable  in  that  way. 
In  England,  among  the  higher  classes,  it  is  impossible 
that  the  feelings  should  not  be  weakened  by  so  many 
adverse  interests.  When  a  brother  knows  that  nothing 
stands  between  himself  and  rank  and  wealth,  but  the 
claims  of  one  who  was  born  a  twelvemonth  earlier 
than  himself,  he  gets  to  feel  more  like  a  rival  than  a 
kinsman,  and  the  temptation  to  envy  or  dislike,  or  even 
hatred,  sometimes  becomes  stronger  than  the  duty  to 
love." 

"  And  yet  the  English,  themselves,  say  that  the  ser 
vices  rendered  by  the  elder  to  the  younger  brother, 
and  the  gratitude  of  the  younger  to  the  elder,  are  so 
many  additional  ties." 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  355 

"  It  would  be  contrary  to  al1  the  known  laws  of  feel 
ing,  arid  all  experience,  if  this  were  so.  The  younger 
applies  to  the  elder  for  aid  in  preference,  to  a  stranger, 
because  he  thinks  he  has  a  claim ;  and  what  man  who 
fancies  he  has  a  claim,  is  disposed  to  believe  justice  is 
fully  done  him ;  or  who  that  is  required  to  discharge  a 
duty,  imagines  he  has  not  done  more  than  could  be 
properly  asked?" 

"  I  fear  your  opinion  of  men  is  none  of  the  best,  Mr. 
Powis!" 

"  There  may  be  exceptions,  but  such  I  believe  to  be 
the  common  fate  of  humanity.  The  moment  a  duty 
is  created,  a  disposition  to  think  it  easily  discharged 
follows ;  and  of  all  sentiments,  that  of  a  continued  and 
exacting  gratitude  is  the  most  oppressive.  I  fear  more 
brothers  are  aided,  through  family  pride,  than  through 
natural  affection." 

"  What,  then,  loosens  the  tie  among  ourselves,  where 
no  law  of  primogeniture  exists  ?" 

"  That  which  loosens  every  thing.  A  love  of  change 
that  has  grown  up  with  the  migratory  habits  of  the 
people ;  and  which,  perhaps,  is,  in  some  measure,  fos 
tered  by  the  institutions.  Here  is  Mr.  Bragg  to  con 
firm  what  I  say,  and  we  may  hear  his  sentiments  on 
this  subject." 

As  Aristabulus,  with  whom  walked  Mr.  Dodge,  just 
at  that  moment  came  out  of  the  shrubbery,  and  took 
the  same  direction  with  themselves,  Powis  put  the 
question,  as  one  addresses  an  acquaintance  in  a  room. 

"  Rotation  in  feelings,  sir,"  returned  Mr.  Bragg,  "  is 
human  nature,  as  rotation  in  office  is  natural  justice. 
Some  of  our  people  are  of  opinion  that  it  might  be 
useful  could  the  whole  of  society  be  made  periodically 
to  change  places,  in  order  that  every  one  might  know 
how  his  neighbour  lives." 

"  You  are,  then,  an  Agrarian,  Mr.  Bragg  ?" 

"  As  far  from  it  as  possible ;  nor  do  I  believe  you 
will  find  such  an  animal  in  this  county.  Where 


356  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

property  is  concerned,  we  are  a  people  that  never  let 
go,  as  long  as  we  can  hold  on,  sir;  but,  beyond  this, 
we  like  lively  changes.  Now,  Miss  Effingham,  ever} 
body  thinks  frequent  changes  of  religious  instructors, 
in  particular,  necessary.  There  can  be  no  vital  piety 
without  keeping  the  flame  alive  with  excitement." 

"  I  confess,  sir,  that  my  own  reasoning  would  lead 
to  a  directly  contrary  conclusion,  arid  that  there  can 
be  no  vital  piety,  as  you  term  it,  with  excitement." 

Mr.  Bragg  looked  at  Mr.  Dodge,  and  Mr.  Dodge 
looked  at  Mr.  Bragg.  Then  each  shrugged  his  shoul 
ders,  and  the  former  continued  the  discourse. 

"  That  may  be  the  case  in  France,  Miss  Effingham," 
he  said,  "  but,  in  America,  we  look  to  excitement  as 
the  great  purifier.  We  should  as  soon  expect  the  air 
in  the  bottom  of  a  well  to  be  elastic,  as  that  the  moral 
atmosphere  shall  be  clear  and  salutary,  without  the 
breezes  of  excitement.  For  my  part,  Mr.  Dodge,  I 
think  no  man  should  be  a  judge,  in  the  same  court, 
more  than  ten  years  at  a  time,  and  a  priest  gets  to  be 
rather  common-place  and  flat  after  five.  There  are 
men  that  may  hold  out  a  little  longer,  I  acknowledge ; 
but  to  keep  real,  vital,  soul-saving  regeneration  stir 
ring,  a  change  should  take  place  as  often  as  once  in 
five  years,  in  a  parish;  that  is  my  opinion,  at  least." 

"  But,  sir,"  rejoined  Eve,  "  as  the  laws  of  religion 
are  immutable,  the  modes  by  which  it  is  known  uni 
versal,  and  the  promises,  mediation,  and  obligations 
are  every  where  the  same,  I  do  not  see  what  you  pro 
pose  to  gain  by  so  many  changes." 

"Why,  Miss  Effingham,  we  change  the  dishes  at 
table,  and  no  family  of  my  acquaintance,  more  than 
this  of  your  honourable  father's ;  and  I  am  surprised 
to  find  you  opposed  to  the  system." 

"  Our  religion,  sir,"  answered  Eve,  gravely,  "  is  a 
duty,  and  rests  on  revelation  and  obedience ;  while  our 
diet  may,  very  innocently,  be  a  matter  of  mere  taste, 
or  even  of  caprice,  if  you  will." 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  357 

*  Well,  I  confess  I  see  no  great  difference,  the  main 
object  in  this  life  being  to  stir  people  up,  and  to  go 
ahead.  I  presume  you  know,  Miss  Eve,  that  many 
people  think  that  we  ought  to  change  our  own  parson, 
if  we  expect  a  blessing  on  the  congregation." 

"  I  should  sooner  expect  a  curse  would  follow  an 
act  of  so  much  heartlessness,  sir.  Our  clergyman  has 
been  with  us  since  his  entrance  into  the  duties  of  his 
holy  office,  and  it  will  be  difficult  to  suppose  that  the 
Divine  favour  would  follow  the  commission  of  so  self 
ish  and  capricious  a  step,  with  a  motive  no  better  than 
the  desire  for  novelty." 

"  You  quite  mistake  the  object,  Miss  Eve,  which  is 
to  stir  the  people  up ;  a  hopeless  thing,  I  fear,  so  long 
as  they  always  sit  under  the  same  preaching." 

"  I  have  been  taught  to  believe  that  piety  is  increased, 
Mr.  Bragg,  by  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  sustaining 
and  supporting  us  in  our  good  desires ;  and  I  cannot 
persuade  myself  that  the  Deity  finds  it  necessary  to 
save  a  soul,  by  the  means  of  any  of  those  human 
agencies  by  which  men  sack  towns,  turn  an  election, 
or  incite  a  mob.  I  hear  that  extraordinary  scenes  are 
witnessed  in  this  country,  in  some  of  the  other  sects ; 
but  I  trust  never  to  see  the  day,  when  the  apostolic, 
reverend,  and  sober  church,  in  which  I  have  been  nur 
tured,  shall  attempt  to  advance  the  workings  of  that 
Divine  power,  by  a  profane,  human  hurrah." 

All  this  was  Greek  to  Messrs.  Dodge  and  Bragg, 
who,  in  furthering  their  objects,  were  so  accustomed 
to  "  stirring  people  up,"  that  they  had  quite  forgotten 
that  the  more  a  man  was  in  "  an  excitement,"  the  less 
he  had  to  do  with  reason.  The  exaggerated  religious 
sects,  which  first  peopled  America,  have  had  a  strong 
influence  in  transmitting  to  their  posterity  false  notions 
on  such  subjects ;  for  while  the  old  world  is  accustomed 
to  see  Christianity  used  as  an  ally  of  government,  and 
perverted  from  its  one  great  end  to  be  the  instrument 
of  ambition,  cupidity,  and  selfishness,  the  new  world 


358  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

has  been  fated  to  witness  the  reaction  of  such  abuses, 
and  to  run  into  nearly  as  many  errors  in  the  opposite 
extreme.  The  two  persons  just  mentioned,  had  been 
educated  in  the  provincial  school  of  religious  notions, 
that  is  so  much  in  favour,  in  a  portion  of  this  country  ; 
and  they  were  striking  examples  of  the  truth  of  the 
adage,  that  "  what  is  bred  in  the  bone  will  be  seen  in 
the  flesh,"  for  their  common  character,  common  in  this 
particular  at  least,  was  a  queer  mixture  of  the  most 
narrow  superstitions  and  prejudices,  that  existed  under 
the  garb  of  religious  training,  and  of  unjustifiable 
frauds,  meannesses,  and  even  vices.  Mr.  Bragg  was 
a  better  man  than  Mr.  Dodge,  for  he  had  more  self- 
reliance,  and  was  more  manly ;  but,  on  the  score  of  re 
ligion,  he  had  the  same  contradictory  excesses,  and 
there  was  a  common  point,  in  the  way  of  vulgar  vice, 
towards  which  each  tended,  simply  for  the  want  of 
breeding  and  tastes,  as  infallibly  as  the  needle  points 
to  the  pole.  Cards  were  often  introduced  in  Mr. 
Effingham's  drawing-room,  and  there  was  one  apart 
ment  expressly  devoted  to  a  billiard-table ;  and  many 
was  the  secret  fling,  and  biting  gibe,  that  these  pious 
devotees  passed  between  themselves,  on  the  subject  of 
so  flagrant  an  instance  of  immorality,  in  a  family  of 
so  high  moral  pretensions ;  the  two  worthies  not  unfre- 
quently  concluding  their  comments  by  repairing  to 
some  secret  room  in  a  tavern,  where,  after  carefully 
locking  the  door,  and  drawing  the  curtains,  they  would 
order  brandy,  and  pass  a  refreshing  hour  in  endeavour 
ing  to  relieve  each  other  of  the  labour  of  carrying 
their  odd  sixpences,  by  means  of  little  shoemaker's 
loo. 

On  the  present  occasion,  however,  the  earnestness 
of  Eve  produced  a  pacifying  effect  on  their  consciences, 
for,  as  our  heroine  never  raised  her  sweet  voice  above 
the  tones  of  a  gentlewoman,  its  very  mildness  and  soft 
ness  gave  force  to  her  expressions.  Had  JohnEffingham 
uttered  the  sentiments  to  which  they  had  just  listened 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  359 

it  is  probable  Mr.  Bragg  would  have  attempted  an  an 
swer  ;  but,  under  the  circumstances,  he  preferred  mak 
ing  his  bow,  and  diverging  into  the  first  path  that 
offered,  followed  by  his  companion.  Eve  and  Paul 
continued  their  circuit  of  the  grounds,  as  if  no  inter 
ruption  had  taken  place. 

"  This  disposition  to  change  is  getting  to  be  univer 
sal  in  the  country,"  remarked  the  latter,  as  soon  as 
Aristabulus  and  his  friend  had  left  them,  "  and  I  consi 
der  it  one  of  the  worst  signs  of  the  times ;  more  espe 
cially  since  it  has  become  so  common  to  connect  it 
with  what  it  is  the  fashion  to  call  excitement." 

"To  return  to  the  subject  which  these  gentlemen 
interrupted,"  said  Eve,  "  that  of  the  family  ties ;  I  have 
always  heard  England  quoted  as  one  of  the  strongest 
instances  of  a  nation  in  which  this  tie  is  slight,  beyond 
its  aristocratical  influence ;  and  I  should  be  sorry  to 
suppose  that  we  are  following  in  the  footsteps  of  our 
good-mother,  in  this  respect  at  least." 

"  Has  Mademoiselle  Viefville  never  made  any  remark 
on  this  subject  ?" 

"  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  though  observant,  is  dis 
creet.  That  she  believes  the  standard  of  the  affections 
as  high  in  this  as  in  her  own  country,  I  do  not  think ; 
for,  like  most  Europeans,  she  believes  the  Americans 
to  be  a  passionless  people,  who  are  more  bound  up  in 
the  interests  of  gain,  than  in  any  other  of  the  concerns 
of  life." 

"  She  does  not  know  us !"  said  Paul  so  earnestly  as 
to,  cause  Eve  to  start  at  the  deep  energy  with  which 
he  spoke.  "  The  passions  lie  as  deep,  and  run  in  cur 
rents  as  strong  here,  as  in  any  other  part  of  the  world, 
though,  there  not  being  as  many  factitious  causes  to 
dam  them,  they  less  seldom  break  through  the  bounds 
of  propriety." 

For  near  a  minute  the  two  paced  the  walk  in  silence, 
and  Eve  began  to  wish  that  some  one  of  the  party 
would  again  join  them,  that  a  conversation  which  she 


360  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

felt  was  getting  to  be  awkward,  might  be  interrupted 
But  no  one  crossed  their  path  again,  and  without  rude 
ness,  or  affectation,  she  saw  no  means  of  effecting  her 
object.  Paul  was  too  much  occupied  with  his  own 
feelings  to  observe  his  companion's  embarrassment, 
and,  after  the  short  pause  mentioned,  he  naturally  pur 
sued  the  subject,  though  in  a  less  emphatic  manner 
than  before. 

"  It  was  an  old,  and  a  favourite  theory,  with  the  Eu 
ropeans,"  he  said,  with  a  sort  of  bitter  irony,  "  that  all 
the  animals  of  this  hemisphere  have  less  gifted  natures 
than  those  of  the  other ;  nor  is  it  a  theory  of  which 
they  are  yet  entirely  rid.  The  Indian  was  supposed 
to  be  passionless,  because  he  had  self-command ;  and 
what  in  the  European  would  be  thought  exhibiting  the 
feelings  of  a  noble  nature,  in  him  has  been  represented 
as  ferocity  and  revenge.  Miss  Emngham,  you  and  I 
have  seen  Europe,  have  stood  in  the  presence  of  its 
wisest,  its  noblest  and  its  best ;  and  what  have  they  to 
boast  beyond  the  immediate  results  of  their  factitious 
and  laboured  political  systems,  that  is  denied  to  the 
American — or  rather  would  be  denied  to  the  Ameri 
can,  had  the  latter  the  manliness  and  mental  indepen 
dence,  to  be  equal  to  his  fortunes  ?' 

"  Which,  you  think  he  is  not." 

"  How  can  a  people  be  even  independent  that  im 
ports  its  thoughts,  as  it  does  its  wares, — that  has  not 
the  spirit  to  invent  even  its  own  prejudices?" 

"  Something  should  be  allowed  to  habit,  and  to  the 
influence  of  time.  England,  herself,  probably  has  in 
herited  some  of  her  false  notions,  from  the  Saxons  and 
Normans." 

"  That  is  not  only  possible,  but  probable ;  but  En 
gland,  in  thinking  of  Russia,  France,  Turkey,  or  Egypt, 
when  induced  to  think  wrong,  yields  to  an  English, 
and  not  to  an  American  interest.  Her  errors  are  at 
least  requited,  in  a  degree,  by  serving  her  own  ends, 
whereas  ours  are  made,  too  often,  to  oppose  our  most 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  361 

obvious  interests.  We  are  never  independent  unless 
when  stimulated  by  some  strong  and  pressing  moneyed 
concern,  and  not  often  then  beyond  the  plainest  of  its 
effects. Here  is  one,  apparently,  who  does  not  be 
long  to  our  party." 

Paul  interrupted  himself,  in  consequence  of  their 
meeting  a  stranger  in  the  walk,  who  moved  with  the 
indecision  of  one  uncertain  whether  to  advance  or  to 
recede.  Rockets  frequently  fell  into  the  grounds,  and 
there  had  been  one  or  two  inroads  of  boys,  which  had 
been  tolerated  on  account  of  the  occasion;  but  this 
intruder  was  a  man  in  the  decline  of  life,  of  the  con 
dition  of  a  warm  tradesman  seemingly,  and  he  clearly 
had  no  connection  with  sky-rockets,  as  his  eyes  were 
turned  inquiringly  on  the  persons  of  those  who  passed 
him,  from  time  to  time,  none  of  whom  had  he  stopped, 
however,  until  he  now  placed  himself  before  Paul  and 
Eve,  in  a  way  to  denote  a  desire  to  speak. 

"  The  young  people  are  making  a  merry  night  of  it," 
he  said,  keeping  a  hand  in  each  coat-pocket,  while  he 
unceremoniously  occupied  the  centre  of  the  narrow 
walk,  as  if  determined  to  compel  a  parley. 

Although  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  unceremo 
nious  habits  of  the  people  of  the  country  to  feel  no 
surprise  at  this  intrusion,  Paul  was  vexed  at  having 
his  tete  a  tete  with  Eve  so  rudely  broken ;  and  he  an 
swered  with  more  of  the  hauteur  of  the  quarter-deck, 
than  he  might  otherwise  have  done,  by  saying  coldly — 

"  Perhaps,  sir,  it  is  your  wish  to  see  Mr.  Effingham 
— or — "  hesitating  an  instant,  as  he  scanned  the  stran 
ger's  appearance — "  some  of  his  people.  The  first 
will  soon  pass  this  spot,  and  you  will  find  most  of  the 
latter  on  the  lawn,  watching  the  rockets." 

The  man  regarded  Paul  a  moment,  and  then  he  re 
moved  his  hat  respectfully. 

"  Please,  sir,  can  you  inform  me  if  a  gentleman 
called  Captain  Truck — one  that  sails  the  packets  be- 
tween  New-York  and  England,  is  staying  at  the  Wig 
wam  at  present." 


362  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

Paul  told  him  that  the  captain  was  walking  with 
Mr.  Effingham,  and  that  the  next  pair  that  ap 
proached  would  be  they.  The  stranger  fell  back, 
keeping  his  hat  respectfully  in  his  hand,  and  the  two 
passed. 

"  That  man  has  been  an  English  servant,  but  has 
been  a  little  spoiled  by  the  reaction  of  an  excessive 
liberty  to  do  as  he  pleases.  The  "  please,  sir,"  and  the 
attitude  can  hardly  be  mistaken,  while  the  nonchalance 
of  his  manner  "  a  nous  aborder"  sufficiently  betrays 
the  second  edition  of  his  education." 

"  I  am  curious  to  know  what  this  person  can  want 
with  our  excellent  captain — it  can  scarcely  be  one  of 
the  Montauk's  crew !" 

"  I  will  answer  for  it,  that  the  fellow  has  not  enough 
seamanship  about  him  to  whip  a  rope,"  said  Paul, 
laughing ;  "  for  if  there  be  two  temporal  pursuits  that 
have  less  affinity  than  any  two  others,  they  are  those 
of  the  pantry  and  the  tar-bucket.  I  think  it  will  be 
seen  that  this  man  has  been  an  English  servant,  and 
he  has  probably  been  a  passenger  on  board  some  ship 
commanded  by  our  honest  old  friend." 

Eve  and  Paul  now  turned,  and  they  met  Mr.  Effing- 
ham  and  the  captain  just  as  the  two  latter  reached  the 
spot  where  the  stranger  still  stood. 

"  This  is  Captain  Truck,  the  gentleman  for  whom 
you  inquired,"  said  Paul. 

The  stranger  looked  hard  at  the  captain,  and  the 
captain  looked  hard  at  the  stranger,  the  obscurity 
rendering  a  pretty  close  scrutiny  necessary,  to  enable 
either  to  distinguish  features.  The  examination  seemed 
to  be  mutually  unsatisfactory,  for  each  retired  a  little, 
like  a  man  who  had  not  found  a  face  that  he  knew. 

"  There  must  be  two  Captain  Trucks,  then,  in  the 
trade,"  said  the  stranger ;  "  this  is  not  the  gentleman 
I  used  to  know." 

"  I  think  you  are  as  right  in  the  latter  part  of  your 
remark,  friend,  as  you  are  wrong  in  the  first,"  returned 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  363 

the  captain.  "  Know  you,  I  do  not,  and  yet  there  are 
no  more  two  Captain  Trucks  in  the  English  trade,  than 
there  are  two  Miss  Eve  Effinghams,  or  two  Mrs.  Haw 
kers  in  the  universe.  I  am  John  Truck,  and  no  other 
man  of  that  name  ever  sailed  a.  ship  between  New- 
York  and  England,  in  my  day,  at  least." 

"  Did  you  ever  command  the  Dawn,  sir  ?" 

"  The*Dawn !  That  I  did ;  and  the  Regulus,  and  the 
Manhattan,  arid  the  Wilful  Girl,  and  the  Deborah-An 
gelina,  and  the  Sukey  and  Katy,  which,  my  dear 
young  lady,  I  may  say,  was  my  first  love.  She  was 
only  a  fore-and-after,  carrying  no  standing  topsail, 
even,  and  we  named  her  after  two  of  the  river  girls, 
who  were  flyers,  in  their  way ;  at  least,  I  thought  so 
then ;  though  a  man  by  sailing  a  packet  comes  to  alter 
his  notions  about  men  and  things,  or,  for  that  matter, 
about  women  and  things,  too.  I  got  into  a  category, 
in  that  schooner,  that  I  never  expect  to  see  equalled ; 
for  I  was  driven  ashore  to  windward  in  her,  which  is 
gibberish  to  you,  my  dear  young  lady,  but  which  Mr. 
Powis  will  very  well  understand,  though  he  may  not 
be  able  to  explain  it." 

"I  certainly  know  what  you  mean,"  said  Paul, 
"  though  I  confess  I  am  in  a  category,  as  well  as  the 
schooner,  so  far  as  knowing  how  it  could  have  hap 
pened." 

"  The  Sukey  and  Katy  ran  away  with  me,  that 's 
the  upshot  of  it.  Since  that  time  I  have  never  con 
sented  to  command  a  vessel  that  was  called  after  two 
of  our  river  young  women,  for  I  do  believe  that  one 
of  them  is  as  much  as  a  common  mariner  can  manage. 
You  see,  Mr.  Effingham,  we  were  running  along  a  wea 
ther-shore,  as  close  in  as  we  could  get,  to  be  in  the 
eddy,  when  a  squall  struck  her  a-beam,  and  she  luffed 
right  on  to  the  beach.  No  helping  it.  Helm  hard  up, 
peak  down,  head  sheets  to  windward,  and  main  sheet 
flying,  but  it  was  all  too  late ;  away  she  went  plump 
ashore  to  windward.  But  for  that  accident,  I  think  I 
might  have  married." 


364  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  And  what  connexion  could  you  find  between  ma 
trimony  and  this  accident,  captain?"  demanded  the 
laughing  Eve. 

"  There  was  an  admonition  in  it,  my  dear  young 
lady,  that  I  thought  was  not  to  be  disregarded.  I 
tried  the  Wilful  Girl  next,  and  she  was  thrown  on  her 
beam-ends  with  me ;  after  which  I  renounced  all  female 
names,  and  took  to  the  Egyptian." 

"  The  Egyptian !" 

"  Certainly,  Regulus,  who  was  a  great  snake-killer, 
they  tell  me,  in  that  part  of  the  world.  But  I  never 
saw  my  way  quite  clear  as  bachelor,  until  I  got  the 
Dawn.  Did  you  know  that  ship,  friend  ?" 

"  I  believe,  sir,  I  made  two  passages  in  her  while 
you  commanded  her." 

"Nothing  more  likely;  we  carried  lots  of  your 
countrymen,  though  mostly  forward  of  the  gangways. 
I  commanded  the  Dawn  more  than  twenty  years  ago." 

"  It  is  all  of  that  time  since  I  crossed  with  you,  sir ; 
you  may  remember  that  we  fell  in  with  a  wreck,  ten 
days  after  we  sailed,  and  took  oflf  her  cre.w  and  two 
passengers.  Three  or  four  of  the  latter  had  died  with 
their  sufferings,  and  several  of  the  people." 

"  All  this  seems  but  as  yesterday !  The  wreck  was 
a  Charleston  ship,  that  had  started  a  butt." 

"  Yes,  sir — yes,  sir — that  is  just  it — she  had  started, 
but  could  not  get  in.  That  is  just  what  they  said  at 
the  time.  I  am  David,  sir — I  should  think  you  can 
not  have  forgotten  David." 

The  honest  captain  was  very  willing  to  gratify  the 
other's  harmless  self-importance,  though,  to  tell  the 
truth,  he  retained  no  more  personal  knowledge  of 
the  David  of  the  Dawn,  than  he  had  of  David,  King 
of  the  Jews. 

"  Oh,  David !"  he  cried,  cordially — "  are  you  David  1 
Well,  I  did  not  expect  to  see  you  again  in  this  world, 
though  I  never  doubted  where  we  should  be,  hereafter 
I  hope  you  are  very  well,  David ;  what  sort  of  wea 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  365 

ther  have  you  made  of  it  since  we  parted  ?  If  I  re 
collect  aright,  you  worked  your  passage ; — never  at 
sea  before." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir ;  I  never  was  at  sea  before 
the  first  time,  it  is  true ;  but  I  did  not  belong  to  the 
crew.  I  was  a  passenger." 

"  I  remember,  now,  you  were  in  the  steerage," 
returned  the  captain,  who  saw  dayiight  ahead. 

"  Not  at  all,  sir,  but  in  the  cabin." 

"  Cabin !"  echoed  the  captain,  who  perceived  none 
of  the  requisites  of  a  cabin-passenger  in  the  other — 
"Oh!  I  understand,  in  the  pantry?" 

"  Exactly  so,  sir.  You  may  remember  my  master — 
he  had  the  left-hand  state-room  to  himself,  and  I  slept 
next  to  the  scuttle-butt.  You  recollect  master,  sir?" 

"Out  of  doubt,  and  a  very  good  fellow  he  was.  I 
hope  you  live  with  him  still  ?" 

"  Lord  bless  you,  sir,  he  is  dead !" 

"  Oh !  I  recollect  hearing  of  it,  at  the  time.  Well, 
David,  I  hope  if  ever  we  cross  again,  we  shall  be 
ship-mates  once  more.  We  were  beginners,  then,  but 
we  have  ships  worth  living  in,  now. — Good  night." 

"  Do  you  remember  Dowse,  sir,  that  we  got  from 
the  wreck  ?"  continued  the  other,  unwilling  to  give  up 
his  gossip  so  soon.  "  He  was  a  dark  man,  that  had 
had  the  small-pox  badly.  I  think,  sir,  you  will  recol 
lect  him,  for  he  was  a  hard  man  in  other  particulars, 
besides  his  countenance." 

"  Somewhat  flinty  about  the  soul ;  I  remember  the 
man  well ;  and  so,  David,  good  night ;  you  will  come  and 
see  me,  if  you  are  ever  in  town.  Good  night,  David." 

David  was  now  compelled  to  leave  the  place,  for 
Captain  Truck,  who  perceived  that  the  whole  party 
was  getting  together  again,  in  consequence  of  the  halt, 
felt  the  propriety  of  dismissing  his  visiier,  of  whom, 
his  master,  and  Dowse,  he  retained  just  as  much  recol 
lection  as  one  retains  of  a  common  stage-coach  com 
panion  after  twenty  years.  The  appearance  of  Mr. 
31* 


366  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

Howel,  who  just  at  that  moment  approached  them, 
aided  the  manoeuvre,  and,  in  a  few  minutes  the  differ 
ent  groups  were  again  in  motion,  though  some  slight 
changes  had  taken  place  in  the  distribution  of  the  par 
ties. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


'  How  silver  sweet  sound  lovers'  tongues  at  night, 
Like  softest  music  to  attending  ears !" 

ROMEO  AND  JULIET. 


"A  POOR  matter,  this  of  the  fire-works,"  said  Mr. 
Howel,  who,  with  an  old  bachelor's  want  of  tact,  had 
joined  Eve  and  Paul  in  their  walk.  "  The  English 
would  laugh  at  them  famously,  I  dare  say.  Have  you 
heard  Sir  George  allude  to  them  at  all,  Miss  Eve?" 

"  It  would  be  great  affectation  for  an  Englishman  to 
deride  the  fire-works  of  any  dry  climate,"  said  Eve 
laughing ;  "  and  I  dare  say,  if  Sir  George  Templemore 
has  been  silent  on  the  subject,  it  is  because  he  is  con 
scious  he  knows  little  about  it." 

"  Well,  that  is  odd !  I  should  think  England  the  very 
first  country  in  the  world  for  fire-works.  I  hear,  Miss 
Eve,  that,  on  the  whole,  the  baronet  is  rather  pleased 
with  us ;  and  I  must  say  that  he  is  getting  to  be  very 
popular  in  Templeton." 

"  Nothing  is  easier  than  for  an  Englishman  to  become 
popular  in  America,"  observed  Paul,  "  especially  if  his 
condition  in  life  be  above  that  of  the  vulgar.  He  has 
only  to  declare  himself  pleased  with  America ;  or,  to 
be  sincerely  hated,  to  declare  himself  displeased." 

"  And  in  what  does  America  differ  from  any  other 
country,  in  this  respect?"  asked  Eve,  quickly. 

"Not  much,  certainly;  love  induces  love,  and  dis- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  367 

like,  dislike.  Tnere  is  nothing  new  in  all  this ;  but  the 
people  of  other  countries,  having  more  confidence  in 
themselves,  do  not  so  sensitively  inquire  what  others 
think  of  them.  I  believe  this  contains  the  whole  dif 
ference." 

"But  Sir  George  does  rather  like  us?"  inquired  Mr. 
Howel,  with  interest. 

"  He  likes  some  of  us  particularly  well,"  returned 
Eve.  "  Do  you  not  know  that  my  cousin  Grace  is  to 
become  Mrs. — I  beg  her  pardon — Lady  Templemore, 
very  shortly  ?" 

"  Good  God  ! — Is  that  possible — Lady  Templemore ! 
— Lady  Grace  Templemore  !" 

"  Not  Lady  Grace  Templemore,  but  Grace,  Lady 
Templemore,  and  graceful  Lady  Templemore  in  the 
bargain." 

"  And  this  honour,  my  dear  Miss  Eve,  they  tell  me 
you  refused !" 

"  They  tell  you  wrong  then,  sir,"  answered  the  young 
lady,  a  little  startled  with  the  suddenness  and  brusque- 
rie  of  the  remark,  and  yet  prompt  to  do  justice  to  all 
concerned.  "  Sir  George  Templemore  never  did  me 
the  honour  to  propose  to  me,  or  for  me,  and  conse 
quently  he  could  not  be  refused." 

"  It  is  very  extraordinary ! — I  hear  you  were  actually 
acquainted  in  Europe  V9 

"  We  were,  Mr.  Howel,  actually  acquainted  in  Eu 
rope,  but  I  knew  hundreds  of  persons  in  Europe,  who 
have  never  dreamed  of  asking  me  to  marry  them." 

"This  is  very  strange  —  quite  unlocked  for  —  to 
marry  Miss  Van  Cortlandt !  Is  Mr.  John  Effingham 
in  the  grounds  ?" 

Eve  made  no  answer,  but  Paul  hurriedly  observed — 

"  You  will  find  him  in  the  next  walk,  I  think,  by 
returning  a  short  distance,  and  taking  the  first  path 
to  the  left." 

Mr.  Howel  did  as  told,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

"That  is  a  most  earnest  believer  in  English  superi- 


368  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

ority,  and,  one  may  say,  by  his  strong  desire  to  give 
you  an  English  husband,  Miss  Effingham,  in  English 
merit." 

"  It  is  the  weak  spot  in  the  character  of  a  very  ho 
nest  man.  They  tell  me  such  instances  were  much 
more  frequent  in  this  country  thirty  years  since,  than 
they  are  to-day." 

"I  can  easily  believe  it,  for  I  think  I  remember  some 
characters  of  the  sort,  myself.  I  have  heard  those  who 
are  older  than  I  am,  draw  a  distinction  like  this  be 
tween  the  state  of  feeling  that  prevailed  forty  years 
ago,  and  that  which  prevails  to-day ;  they  say  that, 
formerly,  England  absolutely  and  despotically  thought 
for  America,  in  all  but  those  cases  in  which  the  inte 
rests  of  the  two  nations  conflicted ;  and  I  have  even 
heard  competent  judges  affirm,  that  so  powerful  was 
the  influence  of  habit,  and  so  successful  the  schemes 
of  the  political  managers  of  the  mother  country,  that 
even  many  of  those  who  fought  for  the  independence  of 
America,  actually  doubted  of  the  propriety  of  their 
acts,  as  Luther  is  known  to  have  had  fits  of  despon 
dency  concerning  the  justness  of  the  reformation  he  was 
producing ;  while,  latterly,  the  leaning  towards  Eng 
land  is  less  the  result  of  a  simple  mental  dependence, — 
though  of  that  there  still  remains  a  disgraceful  amount 
— than  of  calculation,  and  a  desire  in  a  certain  class  to 
defeat  the  dominion  of  the  mass,  and  to  establish  that 
of  a  few  in  its  stead." 

"  It  would,  indeed,  be  a  strange  consummation  of 
the  history  of  this  country,  to  find  it  becoming  mo 
narchical  !" 

"  There  are  a  few  monarchists  no  doubt  springing 
up  in  the  country,  though  almost  entirely  in  a  class 
that  only  knows  the  world  through  the  imagination  and 
by  means  of  books;  but  the  disposition,  in  our  time,  is 
to  aristocracy,  and  not  to  monarchy.  Most  men  that 
get  to  be  rich,  discover  that  they  are  no  happier  for 
their  possessions ;  perhaps  every  man  who  has  not  been 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  369 

trained  and  prepared  to  use  his  means  properly,  is  in 
this  category,  as  our  friend  the  captain  would  call  it, 
and  then  they  begin  to  long  for  some  other  untried  ad 
vantages.  The  example  of  the  rest  of  the  world  is 
before  our  own  wealthy,  and,  faute  d 'imagination , 
they  imitate  because  they  cannot  invent.  Exclusive 
political  power  is  also  a  great  ally  in  the  accumulation 
of  money,  and  a  portion  have  the  sagacity  to  see  it ; 
though  I  suspect  more  pine  for  the  vanities  of  the  ex 
clusive  classes,  than  for  the  substance.  Your  sex,  Miss 
Effingham,  as  a  whole,  is  not  above  this  latter  weak 
ness,  as  I  think  you  must  have  observed  in  your  inter 
course  with  those  you  met  abroad." 

"I  met  with  some  instances  of  weakness,  in  this 
way,"  said  Eve,  with  reserve,  and  with  the  pride  of  a 
woman,  "  though  not  more,  I  think,  than  among  the 
men ;  and  seldom,  in  either  case,  among  those  whom 
we  are  accustomed  to  consider  people  of  condition  at 
home.  The  self-respect  and  the  habits  of  the  latter, 
generally  preserved  them  from  betraying  this  feeble 
ness  of  character,  if  indeed  they  felt  it." 

"  The  Americans  abroad  may  be  divided  into  two 
great  classes;  those  who  go  for  improvement  in 
the  sciences  or  the  arts,  and  those  who  go  for  mere 
amusement.  As  a  whole,  the  former  have  struck  me 
as  being  singularly  respectable,  equally  removed  from 
an  apish  servility  and  a  swaggering  pretension  of  su« 
periority ;  while,  I  fear,  a  majority  of  the  latter  have  a 
disagreeable  direction  towards  the  vanities." 

"  I  will  not  affirm  the  contrary,"  said  Eve,  "  for  fri 
volity  and  pleasure  are  only  too  closely  associated  in 
ordinary  minds.  The  number  of  those  who  prize  the 
elegancies  of  life,  for  their  intrinsic  value,  is  every 
where  small,  I  should  think ;  and  I  question  if  Europe 
is  much  better  off  than  ourselves,  in  this  respect." 

"This  may  be  true,  arid  yet  one  can  only  regret 
that,  in  a  case  where  so  much  depends  on  example, 
the  tone  of  our  people  was  not  more  assimilated 


370  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

to  their  facts.  I  do  not  know  whether  you  were  struck 
with  the  same  peculiarity,  but,  whenever  I  felt  in  the 
mood  to  hear  high  monarchical  and  aristocratical  doc 
trines  blindly  promulgated,  I  used  to  go  to  the  nearest 
American  Legation." 

"  I  have  heard  this  fact  commented  on,"  Eve 
answered,  "  and  even  by  foreigners,  and  I  confess  it 
has  always  struck  me  as  singular.  Why  should  the 
agent  of  a  republic  make  a  parade  of  his  anti-repub 
lican  sentiments?" 

"  That  there  are  exceptions,  I  will  allow ;  but,  after 
the  experience  of  many  years,  I  honestly  think  that 
such  is  the  rule.  I  might  distrust  my  own  opinion,  or 
my  own  knowledge ;  but  others,  with  opportunities 
equal  to  my  own,  have  come  to  the  same  conclusion. 
I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  Europe,  complaining 
that  an  American  Envoy  Extraordinary,  who  would 
as  soon  think  of  denouncing  himself,  as  utter  the  same 
sentiments  openly  at  home,  has  given  an  opinion 
against  the  utility  of  the  vote  by  ballot ;  and  this,  too, 
under  circumstances  that  might  naturally  be  thought 
to  produce  a  practical  effect." 

"  Tant  pis.     To  me  all  this  is  inexplicable !" 

"  It  has  its  solution,  Miss  Effingham,  like  any  other 
problem.  In  ordinary  times,  extraordinary  men  sel 
dom  become  prominent,  power  passing  into  the  hands 
of  clever  managers.  Now,  the  very  vanity,  and  the 
petty  desires,  that  betray  themselves  in  glittering  uni 
forms,  puerile  affectations,  and  feeble  imitations  of 
other  systems,  probably  induce  more  than  half  of  those 
who  fill  the  foreign  missions  to  apply  for  them,  and  it 
is  no  more  than  we  ought  to  expect  that  the  real  dis 
position  should  betray  itself,  when  there  was  no  longer 
any  necessity  for  hypocrisy." 

"But  I  should  think  this  necessity  for  hypocrisy 
would  never  cease !  Can  it  be  possible  that  a  people, 
as  much  attached  to  their  institutions  as  the  great 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  371 

mass  of  the  American  nation  is  known  to  be,  will  tole 
rate  such  a  base  abandonment  of  all  they  cherish !" 

"  How  are  they  to  know  any  thing  about  it  ?  It  is 
a  startling  fact,  that  there  is  a  man  at  this  instant,  who 
has  not  a  single  claim  to  such  a  confidence,  either  in 
the  way  of  mind,  principles,  manners,  or  attainments, 
filling  a  public  trust  abroad,  who,  on  all  occasions, 
except  those  which  he  thinks  will  come  directly  before 
the  American  people,  not  only  proclaims  himself 
opposed  to  the  great  principles  of  the  institutions, 
but  who,  in  a  recent  controversy  with  a  foreign  na 
tion,  actually  took  sides  against  his  own  country, 
informing  that  of  the  opposing  nation,  that  the  ad 
ministration  at  home  would  not  be  supported  by  the 
legislative  part  of  the  government !" 

"And  why  is  not  this  publicly  exposed?" 

"  Cui  bono  I  The  presses  that  have  no  direct  inte 
rest  in  the  matter,  would  treat  the  affair  with  indif 
ference  or  levity,  while  a  few  would  mystify  the 
truth.  It  is  quite  impossible  for  any  man  in  a  private 
station  to  make  the  truth  available  in  any  country,  in 
a  matter  of  public  interest ;  and  those  in  public  stations 
seldom  or  never  attempt  it,  unless  they  see  a  direct 
party  end  to  be  obtained.  This  is  the  reason  that  we 
see  so  much  infidelity  to  the  principles  of  the  institu 
tions,  among  the  public  agents  abroad,  for  they  very 
well  know  that  no  one  will  be  able  to  expose  them. 
In  addition  to  this  motive,  there  is  so  strong  a  desire 
in  that  portion  of  the  community  which  is  considered 
the  highest,  to  effect  a  radical  change  in  these  very 
institutions,  that  infidelity  to  them,  in  their  eyes,  would 
be  a  merit,  rather  than  an  offence." 

"  Surely,  surely,  other  nations  are  not  treated  in  this 
cavalier  manner !" 

"  Certainly  not.  The  foreign  agent  of  a  prince,  who 
should  whisper  a  syllable  against  his  master,  would  be 
recalled  with  disgrace ;.  but  the  servant  of  the  people 
is  differently  situated,  since  there  are  so  many  to  be 


372  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

persuaded  of  his  guilt.  I  could  always  get  along  with 
all  the  attacks  that  the  Europeans  are  so  fond  of 
making  on  the  American  system,  but  those  which  they 
quoted  from  the  mouths  of  our  own  diplomatic  agents." 

"  Why  do  not  our  travellers  expose  this  ?" 

"  Most  of  them  see  too  little  to  know  any  thing  of 
it.  They  dine  at  a  diplomatic  table,  see  a  star  or  two, 
fancy  themselves  obliged,  and  puff  elegancies  that  have 
no  existence,  except  in  their  own  brains.  Some  think 
with  the  unfaithful,  and  see  no  harm  in  the  infidelity. 
Others  calculate  the  injury  to  themselves,  and  no  small 
portion  would  fancy  it  a  greater  proof  of  patriotism  to 
turn  a  sentence  in  favour  of  the  comparative  '  ener 
gies  '  and  « superior  intelligence '  of  their  own  people, 
than  to  point  out  this  or  any  other  disgraceful  fact,  did 
they  even  possess  the  opportunities  to  discover  it. 
Though  no  one  thinks  more  highly  of  these  qualities  in 
the  Americans,  considered  in  connexion  with  practical 
things,  than  myself,  no  one  probably  gives  them  less 
credit  for  their  ability  to  distinguish  between  appear 
ances  and  reality,  in  matters  of  principle." 

"  It  is  probable  that  were  we  nearer  to  the  rest  of 
the  world,  these  abuses  would  not  exist,  for  it  is  cer 
tain  they  are  not  so  openly  practised  at  home.  I  air 
glad,  however,  to  find  that,  even  while  you  felt  some 
uncertainty  concerning  your  own  birth-place,  you  took 
so  much  interest  in  us,  as  to  identify  yourself  in  feel 
ing,  at  least,  with  the  nation." 

"  There  was  one  moment  when  I  was  really  afraid 
that  the  truth  would  show  I  was  actually  born  an  Eng 
lishman " 

"  Afraid  !"  interrupted  Eve ;  "  that  is  a  strong  word 
to  apply  to  so  great  and  glorious  a  people." 

"  We  cannot  always  account  for  our  prejudices,  and 
perhaps  this  was  one  of  mine ;  and,  now  that  T  know 
that  to  be  an  Englishman  is  not  the  greatest  possible 
merit  in  your  eyes,  Miss  Effingham,  it  is  in  no  manner 
lessened." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  373 

"  In  my  eyes,  Mr.  Powis !  I  do  not  remember  to 
have  expressed  any  partiality  for,  or  any  prejudice 
against  the  English :  so  far  as  I  can  speak  of  my  own 
feelings,  I  regard  the  English  the  same  as  any  other 
foreign  people." 

"  In  words  you  have  not  certainly ;  but  acts  speak 
louder  than  words." 

"  You  are  disposed  to  be  mysterious  to-night.  What 
act  of  mine  has  declared  pro  or  con  in  this  important 
affair." 

"  You  have  at  least  done  what,  I  fear,  few  of  your 
countrywomen  would  have  the  moral  courage  and 
self-denial  to  do,  and  especially  those  who  are  accus 
tomed  to  living  abroad — refused  to  be  the  wife  of  an 
English  baronet  of  a  good  estate  and  respectable 
family." 

"  Mr.  Powis,"  said  Eve,  gravely,  "  this  is  an  injus 
tice  to  Sir  George  Templemore,  that  my  sense  of  right 
will  not  permit  to  go  uncontradicted,  as  well  as  an 
injustice  to  my  sex  and  me.  As  I  told  Mr.  Howel, 
in  your  presence,  that  gentleman  has  never  proposed 
for  me,  and  of  course  cannot  have  been  refused.  Nor 
can  I  suppose  that  any  American  gentlewoman  can 
deem  so  paltry  a  thing  as  a  baronetcy,  an  inducement 
to  forget  her  self-respect." 

"I  fully  appreciate  your  generous  modesty,  Miss 
Effingham;  but  you  cannot  expect  that  I,  to  whom 
Templemore's  admiration  gave  so  much  uneasiness, 
not  to  say  pain,  am  to  understand  you,  as  Mr.  Howel 
has  probably  done,  too  broadly.  Although  Sir  George 
may  not  have  positively  proposed,  his  readiness  to  do 
so,  on  the  least  encouragement,  was  too  obvious  to  be 
overlooked  by  a  near  observer." 

Eve  was  ready  to  gasp  for  breath,  so  completely  by 
surprise  was  she  taken,  by  the  calm,  earnest,  and  yet 
respectful  manner,  in  which  Paul  confessed  his  jealousy. 
There  was  a  tremor  in  his  voice,  too,  usually  so  clear 
and  even,  that  touched  her  heart,  for  feeling  responds 
32 


374  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

to  feeling,  as  the  echo  answers  sound,  when  there  ex 
ists  a  real  sympathy  between  the  sexes.  She  felt  the 
necessity  of  saying  something,  and  yet  they  had 
walked  some  distance,  ere  it  was  in  her  power  to  utter 
a  syllable. 

"  I  fear  my  presumption  has  offended  you,  Miss  Ef- 
fingham,"  said  Paul,  speaking  more  like  a  corrected 
child,  than  the  lion-hearted  young  man  he  had  proved 
himself. 

There  was  deep  homage  in  the  emotion  he  betrayed, 
and  Eve,  although  she  could  barely  distinguish  his 
features,  was  not  slow  in  discovering  this  proof  of  the 
extent  of  her  power  over  his  feelings. 

"  Do  not  call  it  presumption,"  she  said ;  "  for,  one 
who  has  done  so  much  for  us  all,  can  surely  claim 
some  right  to  take  an  interest  in  those  he  has  so  well 
served.  As  for  Sir  George  Templemore,  you  have 
probably  mistaken  the  feeling  created  by  our  common 
adventures  for  one  of  more  importance.  He  is  warmly 
and  sincerely  attached  to  my  cousin,  Grace  Van  Cort- 
landt." 

"  That  he  is  so  now,  I  fully  believe ;  but  that  a  very 
different  magnet  first  kept  him  from  the  Canadas,  I  am 
sure. — We  treated  each  other  generously,  Miss  Effing- 
ham,  and  had  no  concealments,  during  that  long  and 
anxious  night,  when  all  expected  that  the  day  would 
dawn  on  our  captivity.  Templemore  is  too  manly  and 
honest  to  deny  his  former  desire  to  obtain  you  for  a 
wife,  and  I  think  even  he  would  admit  that  it  depended 
entirely  on  yourself  to  be  so,  or  not." 

"  This  is  an  act  of  self-humiliation  that  he  is  not 
called  onto  perform,"  Eve  hurriedly  replied ;  "such 
allusions,  now,  are  worse  than  useless,  and  they  might 
pain  my  cousin,  were  she  to  hear  them." 

"I  am  mistaken  in  my  friend's  character,  if  he  leave 
his  betrothed  in  any  doubt,  on  this  subject.  Five 
minutes  of  perfect  frankness  now,  migkTobviate  years 
of  distrust,  hereafter."  ^ 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  375 

And  would  you,  Mr.  Powis,  avow  a  former  weak 
ness  of  this  sort,  to  the  woman  you  had  finally  selected 
for  your  wife  ?' 

"  I  ought  not  to  quote  myself  for  authority,  for  01 
against  such  a  course,  since  I  have  never  loved  but 
one,  and  her  with  a  passion  too  single  and  too  ardent 
ever  to  admit  of  competition.  Miss  Effingham,  there 
would  be  something  worse  than  affectation — it  would 
be  trifling  with  one  who  is  sacred  in  my  eyes,  were  I 
now  to  refrain  from  speaking  explicitly,  although  what 
I  am  about  to  say  is  forced  from  me  by  circumstances, 
rather  than  voluntary,  and  is  almost  uttered  without 
a  definite  object.  Have  I  your  permission  to  proceed?" 

"  You  can  scarcely  need  a  permission,  being  the 
master  of  your  own  secrets,  Mr.  Powis." 

Paul,  like  all  men  agitated  by  strong  passion,  was 
inconsistent,  and  far  from  just ;  and  Eve  felt  the  truth 
of  this,  even  while  her  mind  was  ingeniously  framing 
excuses  for  his  weaknesses.  Still,  the  impression  that 
she  was  about  to  listen  to  a  declaration  that  possibly 
ought  never  to  be  made,  weighed  upon  her,  and  caused 
her  to  speak  with  more  coldness  than  she  actually  felt. 
As  she  continued  silent,  however,  the  young  man  saw 
fhat  it  had  become  indispensably  necessary  to  be  ex 
plicit. 

"  I  shall  not  detain  you,  Miss  Effingham,  perhaps 
vex  you,"  he  said,  "with  the  history  of  those  early 
impressions,  which  have  gradually  grown  upon  me, 
until  they  have  become  interwoven  with  my  very  ex 
istence.  We  met,  as  you  know,  at  Vienna,  for  the 
first  time.  An  Austrian  of  rank,  to  whom  I  had  be 
come  known  through  some  fortunate  circumstances, 
introduced  me  into  the  best  society  of  that  capital,  in 
which  I  found  you  the  admiration  of  all  who  knew 
you.  My  first  feeling  was  that  of  exultation,  at  seeing 
a  young  countrywoman — you  were  then  almost  a  child, 
Miss  Effingham — the  greatest  attraction  of  a  capital 
celebrated  for  the  beauty  and  grace  of  its  women " 


376  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

Your  national  partialities  have  made  you  an  unjust 
towards  others,  Mr.  Powis,"  Eve  interrupted  him 
by  saying,  though  the  earnestness  and  passion  with 
which  the  young  man  uttered  his  feelings,  made  music 
to  her  ears :  "  what  had  a  young,  frightened,  half-edu 
cated  American  girl  to  boast  of,  when  put  in  competi 
tion  with  the  finished  women  of  Austria  ?" 

"  Her  surpassing  beauty,  her  unconscious  superiority, 
her  attainments,  her  trembling  simplicity  and  modesty, 
and  her  meek  purity  of  mind.  All  these  did  you  pos 
sess,  not  only  in  rny  eyes,  but  in  those  of  others ;  for 
these  are  subjects  on  which  I  dwelt  too  fondly  to  be 
mistaken." 

A  rocket  passed  near  them  at  the  moment,  and, 
while  both  were  too  much  occupied  by  the  discourse 
to  heed  the  interruption,  its  transient  light  enabled 
Paul  to  see  the  flushed  cheeks  and  tearful  eyes  of  Eve, 
as  the  latter  were  turned  on  him,  in  a  grateful  plea 
sure,  that  his  ardent  praises  extorted  from  her,  in  de 
spite  of  all  her  struggles  for  self-command. 

"We  will  leave  to  others  this  comparison,  Mr. 
Powis,"  she  said,  "  and  confine  ourselves  to  less  doubt 
ful  subjects." 

"  If  I  am  then  to  speak  only  of  that  which  is  beyond 
all  question,  I  shall  speak  chiefly  of  my  long  cherished, 
devoted,  unceasing  love.  I  adored  you  at  Vienna, 
Miss  Effingham,  though  it  was  at  a  distance,  as  one 
might  worship  the  sun ;  for,  while  your  excellent  father 
admitted  me  to  his  society,  and  I  even  think  honoured 
me  with  some  portion  of  his  esteem,  I  had  but  little 
opportunity  to  ascertain  the  value  of  the  jewel  that 
was  contained  in  so  beautiful  a  casket ;  but  when  we 
met  the  following  summer  in  Switzerland,  I  first  began 
truly  to  love.  Then  I  learned  the  justness  of  thought, 
the 'beautiful  candour,  the  perfectly  feminine  delicacy 
of  your  mind ;  and,  although  I  will  not  say  that  these 
qualities  were  not  enhanced  in  the  eyes  of  so  young  a 
man,  by  the  extreme  beauty  of  their  possessor,  I  will 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  377 

say  that,  as  weighed  against  each  other,  I  could  a 
thousand  times  prefer  the  former  to  the  latter,  unequal 
led  as  the  latter  almost  is,  even  among  your  own  beau 
tiful  sex." 

"  This  is  presenting  flattery  in  its  most  seductive 
form,  Powis." 

"  Perhaps  my  incoherent  and  abrupt  manner  of  ex 
plaining  myseli  deserves  a  rebuke ;  though  nothing  can 
be  farther  from  rny  intentions  than  to  seem  to  flatter, 
or  in  any  manner  to  exaggerate.  I  intend  merely  to 
give  a  faithful  history  of  the  state  of  my  feelings,  and 
of  the  progress  of  my  love." 

Eve  smiled  faintly,  but  very  sweetly,  as  Paul  would 
have  thought,  had  the  obscurity  permitted  more  than 
a  dim  view  of  her  lovely  countenance. 

"  Ought  I  to  listen  to  such  praises,  Mr.  Powis,"  she 
asked ;  "  praises  which  only  contribute  to  a  self-esteem 
that  is  too  great  already  ?" 

"  No  one  but  yourself  would  say  this ;  but  your  ques 
tion  does,  indeed,  remind  me  of  the  indiscretion  that  I 
have  fallen  into,  by  losing  that  command  of  my  feel 
ings,  in  which  I  have  so  long  exulted.  No  man  should 
make  a  woman  the  confidant  of  his  attachment,  until 
he  is  fully  prepared  to  accompany  the  declaration  with 
an  offer  of  his  hand ; — and  such  is  not  my  condition." 

Eve  made  no  dramatic  start,  assumed  no  look  of 
affected  surprise,  or  of  wounded  dignity ;  but  she  turned 
on  her  lover,  her  serene  eyes,  with  an  expression  of 
concern  so  eloquent,  and  of  a  wonder  so  natural,  that, 
could  he  have  seen  it,  it  would  probably  have  over 
come  every  difficulty  on  the  spot,  and  produced  the 
usual  offer,  notwithstanding  the  difficulty  that  he  seemed 
to  think  insurmountable. 

"  And  yet,"  he  continued,  "  I  have  now  said  so  much, 
involuntarily  as  it  has  been,  that  I  feel  it  not  only  due 
to  you,  but  in  some  measure  to  myself,  to  add  that  the 
fondest  wish  of  my  heart,  the  end  and  aim  of  all  my 
day-dreams,  as  well  as  of  my  most  sober  thoughts  for  the 
32* 


378  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

future,  centre  in  the  common  wish  to  obtain  you  for  a 
wife." 

The  eye  of  Eve  fell,  and  the  expression  of  her  coun 
tenance  changed,  while  a  slight  but  uncontrollable  tre 
mor  ran  through  her  frame.  After  a  short  pause,  she 
summoned  all  her  resolution,  and  in  a  voice,  the  firm 
ness  of  which  surprised  even  herself,  she  asked — 

"  Powis,  to  what  does  all  this  tend?" 

"Well  may  you  ask  that  question,  Miss  Effingham! 
You  have  every  right  to  put  it,  and  the  answer,  at 
least,  shall  add  no  further  cause  of  self-reproach.  Give 
me,  I  entreat  you,  but  a  minute  to  collect  my  thoughts, 
and  I  will  endeavour  to  acquit  myself  of  an  imperious 
duty,  in  a  manner  more  manly  and  coherent,  than  I 
fear  has  been  observed  for  the  last  ten  minutes." 

They  walked  a  short  distance  in  profound  silence, 
Eve  still  under  the  influence  of  astonishment,  in  which 
an  uncertain  and  indefinite  dread  of,  she  scarce  knew 
what,  began  to  mingle ;  and  Paul,  endeavouring  to 
quiet  the  tumult  that  had  been  so  suddenly  aroused 
within  him.  The  latter  then  spoke  : 

"  Circumstances  have  always  deprived  me  of  the 
happiness  of  experiencing  the  tenderness  and  sympathy 
of  your  sex,  Miss  Effingham,  and  have  thrown  me 
more  exclusively  among  the  colder  and  ruder  spirits 
of  my  own.  My  mother  died  at  the  time  of  my  birth, 
thus  cutting  me  off,  at  once,  from  one  of  the  dearest 
of  earthly  ties.  I  am  not  certain  that  I  do  not  ex- 
aggerate  the  loss  in  consequence  of  the  privations  I 
have  suffered ;  but,  from  the  hour  when  I  first  learned 
to  feel,  I  have  had  a  yearning  for  the  tender,  patient, 
endearing,  disinterested  love  of  a  mother.  You,  too, 
suffered  a  similar  loss,  at  an  early  period,  if  I  have 
been  correctly  informed " 

A  sob — a  stifled,  but  painful  sob,  escaped  Eve ;  and, 
inexpressibly  shocked,  Paul  ceased  dwelling  on  his  own 
sources  of  sorrow,  to  attend  to  those  he  had  so  unin 
tentionally  disturbed. 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  379 

"  I  have  been  selfish,  dearest  Miss  Effingham,"  he 
exclaimed — "have  overtaxed  your  patience  —  have 
annoyed  you  with  griefs  and  losses  that  have  no  inter 
est  for  you,  which  can  have  no  interest,  with  one  happy 
and  blessed  as  yourself." 

"  No,  no,  no,  Powis — you  are  unjust  to  both.  I,  too, 
lost  my  mother  when  a  mere  child,  and  never  knew 
her  love  and  tenderness.  Proceed  ;  I  am  calmer,  and 
earnestly  intreat  you  to  forget  my  weakness,  and  to 
proceed." 

Paul  did  proceed,  but  this  brief  interruption  in  which 
they  had  mingled  their  sorrows  for  a  common  misfor 
tune,  struck  a  new  chord  of  feeling,  and  removed  a 
mountain  of  reserve  and  distance,  that  might  other 
wise  have  obstructed  their  growing  confidence. 

"  Cut  off  in  this  manner,  from  my  nearest  and  dear 
est  natural  friend,"  Paul  continued,  "  I  was  thrown, 
an  infant,  into  the  care  of  hirelings ;  and,  in  this  at 
least,  my  fortune  was  still  more  cruel  than  your 
own ;  for  the  excellent  woman  who  has  been  so  happy 
as  to  have  had  the  charge  of  your  infancy,  had  nearly 
the  love  of  a  natural  mother,  however  she  may  have 
been  wanting  in  the  attainments  of  one  of  your  own 
condition  in  life." 

"  But  we  had  both  of  us,  our  fathers,  Mr.  Powis. 
To  me,  my  excellent,  high  principled,  affectionate — nay 
tender  father,  has  been  every  thing.  Without  him,  I 
should  have  been  truly  miserable ;  and  with  him,  not 
withstanding  these  rebellious  tears,  tears  that  I  must 
ascribe  to  the  infection  of  your  own  grief,  I  have  been 
truly  blest." 

"  Mr.  Effingham  deserves  this  from  you,  but  I  never 
knew  my  father,  you  will  remember." 

"I  am  an  unworthy  confidant,  to  have  forgotten 
this  so  soon.  Poor  Powis,  you  were,  indeed,  un 
happy  !" 

"  He  had  parted  from  my  mother  before  my  birth. 


380  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

and  either  died  soon  after,  or  has  never  deemed  his. 
child  of  sufficient  worth  to  make  him  the  subject  of  in 
terest  sufficient  to  excite  a  single  inquiry  into  his  fate." 

"  Then  he  never  knew  that  child !"  burst  from  Eve, 
with  a  fervour  and  frankness,  that  set  all  reserves, 
whether  of  womanly  training,  or  of  natural  timidity, 
at  defiance. 

"  Miss  Effingham ! — dearest  Miss  Effingham — Eve, 
my  own  Eve,  what  am  I  to  infer  from  this  generous 
warmth !  Do  not  mislead  me !  I  can  bear  my  solitary 
misery,  can  brave  the  sufferings  of  an  isolated  exist 
ence  ;  but  I  could  not  live  under  the  disappointments  of 
such  a  hope,  a  hope  fairly  quickened  by  a  clear  expres 
sion  from  your  lips." 

"  You  teach  me  the  importance  of  caution,  Powis, 
and  we  will  now  return  to  your  history,  and  to  that 
confidence  of  which  I  shall  not  again  prove  a  faithless 
repository.  For  the  present  at  least,  I  beg  that  you 
will  forget  all  else." 

"  A  command  so  kindly — so  encouragingly  given — 
do  I  offend,  dearest  Miss  Effingham?"  Eve,  for  the  sec 
ond  time  in  her  life,  placed  her  own  light  arm  and  beau 
tiful  hand,  through  the  arm  of  Paul,  discovering  a  be 
witching  but  modest  reliance  on  his  worth  and  truth, 
by  the  very  manner  in  which  she  did  this  simple  and 
every-day  act,  while  she  said  more  cheerfully — 

"  You  forget  the  substance  of  the  command,  at  the 
very  moment  you  would  have  me  suppose  you  most 
disposed  to  obey  it." 

"  Well,  then,  Miss  Effingham,  you. shall  be  more  im 
plicitly  minded.  Why  my  father  left  my  mother  so 
soon  after  their  union,  I  never  knew.  It  would  seem 
that  they  lived  together  but  a  few  months,  though  I 
have  the  proud  consolation  of  knowing  that  my  mother 
was  blameless.  For  years  I  suffered  the  misery  of 
doubt  on  a  point  that  is  ever  the  most  tender  with  man, 
a  distrust  of  his  own  mother;  but  all  this  has  been 
happily,  blessedly,  cleared  up,  during  my  late  visit  to 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  3&1 

England.  It  is  true  that  Lady  Dunluce  was  my  mother's 
sister,  and  as  such  might  have  been  lenient  to  her  fail 
ings  ;  but  a  letter  from  my  father,  that  was  written  only 
a  month  before  my  mother's  death,  leaves  no  doubt  not 
only  of  her  blamelessness  as  a  wife,  but  bears  ample 
testimony  to  the  sweetness  of  her  disposition.  This 
letter  is  a  precious  document  for  a  son  to  possess,  Miss 
Effingham !" 

Eve  made  no  answer ;  but  Paul  fancied  that  he  felt 
another  gentle  pressure  of  the  hand,  which,  until  then, 
had  rested  so  lightly  on  his  own  arm,  that  he  scarcely 
dared  to  move  the  latter,  lest  he  might  lose  the  pre 
cious  consciousness  of  its  presence. 

"  I  have  other  letters  from  my  father  to  my  mother," 
the  young  man  continued,  "  but  none  that  are  so  cheer 
ing  to  my  heart  as  this.  From  their  general  tone,  I 
cannot  persuade  myself  that  he  ever  truly  loved  her. 
It  is  a  cruel  thing,  Miss  Effingham,  for  a  man  to  de 
ceive  a  woman  on  a  point  like  that !" 

"Cruel,  indeed,"  said  Eve,  firmly.  "Death  itself 
were  preferable  to  such  a  delusion." 

"  I  think  my  father  deceived  himself  as  well  as  my 
mother ;  for  there  is  a  strange  incoherence  and  a  want 
of  distinctness  in  some  of  his  letters,  that  caused  feel 
ings,  keen  as  mine  naturally  were  on  such  a  subject,  to 
distrust  his  affection  from  the  first." 

"  Was  your  mother  rich  ?"  Eve  asked  innocently ; 
for,  an  heiress  herself,  her  vigilance  had  early  been 
directed  to  that  great  motive  of  deception  and  dis 
honesty. 

"  Not  in  the  least.  She  had  little  besides  her  high 
lineage,  and  her  beauty.  I  have  her  picture,  which 
sufficiently  proves  the  latter ;  had,  I  ought  rather  to 
say,  for  it  was  her  miniature,  of  which  I  was  robbed 
by  the  Arabs,  as  you  may  remember,  and  I  have  not 
seen  it  since.  In  the  way  of  money,  my  mother  had 
barely  the  competency  of  a  gentlewoman;  nothing 


382  HOME    AS    FOUKD. 

The  pressure  on  Paul  was  more  palpable,  as  ho 
spoke  of  the  miniature;  and  he  ventured  to  touch 
hi?  companion's  arm,  in  order  to  give  it  a  surer  hold 
of  his  own. 

"  Mr.  Powis  was  not  mercenary,  then,  and  it  is  a 
great  deal*"  said  Eve,  speaking  as  if  she  were  scarcely 
conscious  that  she  spoke  at  all. 

"  Mr.  Powis ! — He  was  every  thing  that  was  noble 
and  disinterested.  A  more  generous,  or  a  less  selfish 
man,  never  existed  than  Francis  Powis." 

"  I  thought  you  never  knew  your  father  personally !" 
exclaimed  Eve  in  surprise. 

"  Nor  did  I.  But,  you  are  in  an  error,  in  supposing 
that  my  father's  name  was  Powis,  when  it  was  Asshe- 
ton." 

Paul  then  explained  the  manner  in  which  he  had 
been  adopted  while  still  a  child,  by  a  gentleman  called 
Powis,  whose  name  he  had  taken,  on  finding  himself 
deserted  by  his  own  natural  parent,  and  to  whose  fortune 
he  had  succeeded,  on  the  death  of  his  voluntary  pro 
tector. 

"  I  bore  the  name  of  Assheton  until  Mr.  Powis  took 
me  to  France,  when  he  advised  me  to  assume  his  own, 
which  I  did  the  more  readily,  as  he  thought  he  had 
ascertained  that  my  father  was  dead,  and  that  he  had 
bequeathed  the  whole  of  a  very  considerable  estate  to 
his  nephews  and  nieces,  making  no  allusion  to  me  in 
his  will,  and  seemingly  anxious  even  to  deny  his  mar 
riage  ;  at  least,  he  passed  among  his  acquaintances  for 
a  bachelor  to  his  dying  day." 

"  There  is  something  so  unusual  and  inexplicable  in 
all  this,  Mr.  Powis,  that  it  strikes  me  you  have  been 
to  blame,  in  not  inquiring  more  closely  into  the  circum 
stances  than,  by  your  own  account  I  should  think  had 
been  done." 

"  For  a  long  time,  for  many  bitter  years,  I  was  afraid 
to  inquire,  lest  I  should  learn  something  injurious  to  a  mo 
ther's  name.  Then  there  was  the  arduous  and  confined 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  383 

service  of  my  profession,  which  kept  me  in  distant  seas; 
and  the  last  journey  and  painful  indisposition  of  my 
excellent  benefactor,  prevented  even  the  wish  to  inquire 
after  my  own  family.  The  offended  pride  of  Mr.  Pow- 
is,  who  was  justly  hurt  at  the  cavalier  manner  in  which 
my  father's  relatives  met  his  advances,  aided  in  alie 
nating  me  from  that  portion  of  my  relatives,  and  put 
a  stop  to  all  additional  proffers  of  intercourse  from  me. 
They  even  affected  to  doubt  the  fact  that  my  father 
had  ever  married." 

"  But  of  that  you  had  proof?"  Eve  earnestly  asked. 

"  Unanswerable.  My  aunt  Dunluce  was  present  at 
the  ceremony,  and  I  possess  the  certificate  given  to  my 
mother  by  the  clergyman  who  officiated.  Is  it  not 
strange,  Miss  Effingham,  that  with  all  these  circum 
stances  in  favour  of  my  legitimacy,  even  Lady  Dunluce 
and  her  family,  until  lately,  had  doubts  of  the  fact." 

"  That  is  indeed  unaccountable,  your  aunt  having 
witnessed  the  ceremony." 

"  Very  true ;  but  some  circumstances,  a  little  aided 
perhaps  by  the  strong  desire  of  her  husband,  Genera] 
Ducie,  to  obtain  the  revival  of  a  barony  that  was  in 
abeyance,  and  of  which  she  would  be  the  only  heir, 
assuming  that  my  rights  were  invalid,  inclined  her  to 
believe  that  my  father  was  already  married,  when  he 
entered  into  the  solemn  contract  with  my  mother.  But 
from  that  curse  too,  I  have  been  happily  relieved." 

"  Poor  Povvis  !"  said  Eve,  with  a  sympathy  that  her 
voice  expressed  more  clearly  even  than  her  words  ; 
"  you  have,  indeed,  suffered  cruelly,  for  one  so  young." 

"  I  have  learned  to  bear  it,  dearest  Miss  Effingham, 
and  have  stood  so  long  a  solitary  and  isolated  being, 
one  in  whom  none  have  taken  any  interest " 

"Nay,  say  not  that — we,  at  least,  have  always  felt 
an  interest  in  you — have  always  esteemed  you,  and 
now  have  learned  to " 

"Learned  to ?" 

»  Love  you,"  said  Eve,  with  a  steadiness  that  after- 


384  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

wards  astonished  herself;  but  she  felt  that  a  being  so 
placed,  was  entitled  to  be  treated  with  a  frankness  dif 
ferent  from  the  reserve  that  it  is  usual  for  her  sex  to 
observe  on  similar  occasions. 

"  Love !"  cried  Paul,  dropping  her  arm.  "  Miss 
Effingham  ! — Eve — but  that  we!19 

"  I  mean  my  dear  father — cousin  Jack — myself." 
"  Such  a  feeling  will  not  heal  a  wound  like  mine. 
A  love  that  is  shared  with  even  such  men  as  your  ex 
cellent  father,  and  your  worthy  cousin,  will  not  make 
me  happy.  But,  why  should  I,  unowned,  bearing  a 
name  to  which  I  have  no  legal  title,  and  virtually  with 
out  relatives,  aspire  to  one  like  you !" 

The  windings  of  the  path  had  brought  them  near  a 
window  of  the  house,  whence  a  stream  of  strong  light 
gleamed  upon  the  sweet  countenance  of  Eve,  as  rais 
ing  her  eyes  to  those  of  her  companion,  with  a  face 
bathed  in  tears,  and  flushed  with  natural  feeling  and 
modesty,  the  struggle  between  which  even  heightened 
her  loveliness,  she  smiled  an  encouragement  that  it 
was  impossible  to  misconstrue. 

"  Can  I  believe  my  senses  !  Will  you — do  you — can 
you  listen  to  the  suit  of  one  like  me  1"  the  young  man 
exclaimed,  as  he  hurried  his  companion  past  the  win 
dow,  lest  some  interruption  might  destroy  his  hopes. 

"  Is  there  any  sufficient  reason  why  I  should  not, 
Powis  ?" 

"  Nothing  but  my  unfortunate  situation  in  respect  to 
my  family,  my  comparative  poverty,  and  my  general 
unworthiness." 

"  Your  unfortunate  situation  in  respect  to  your  rela 
tives  would,  if  any  thing,  be  a  new  and  dearer  tie  with 
us ;  your  comparative  poverty  is  merely  comparative, 
and  can  be  of  no  account,  where  there  is  sufficient 
already ;  and  as  for  your  general  unworthiness,  I  fear 
it  will  find  more  than  an  offset,  in  that  of  the  girl  you 
have  so  rashly  chosen  from  the  rest  of  the  world." 
"  Eve — dearest  Eve — "  said  Paul,  seizing  both  her 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  385 

hands,  and  stopping  her  at  the  entrance  of  some  shrub 
bery,  that  densely  shaded  the  path,  and  where  the 
little  light  that  fell  from  the  stars  enabled  him  still  to 
trace  her  features — "  you  will  not  leave  me  in  doubt 
on  a  subject  of  this  nature — am  I  really  so  blessed  ?" 

"  If  accepting  the  faith  and  affection  of  a  heart  that 
is  wholly  yours,  Powis,  can  make  you  happy,  your 

sorrows  will  be  at  an  end " 

"But  your  father?*  said  the  young  man,  almost 
oreathless  in  his  eagerness  to  know  all. 

"Is  here  to  confirm  what  his  daughter  has  just 
declared,"  said  Mr.  Effingham,  coming  out  of  the 
shrubbery  beyond  them,  and  laying  a  hand  kindly  on 
Paul's  shoulder.  "  To  find  that  you  so  well  under 
stand  each  other,  Powis,  removes  from  my  mind  one 
of  the  greatest  anxieties  I  have  ever  experienced. 
My  cousin  John,  as  he  was  bound  to  do,  has  made  me 
acquainted  with  all  you  have  told  him  of  your  past 
life,  and  there  remains  nothing  further  to  be  revealed. 
We  have  known  you  for  years,  and  receive  you  into 
our  family  with  as  free  a  welcome  as  we  could  receive 
any  precious  boon  from  Providence." 

"  Mr.  Effingham !  —  dear  sir,"  said  Paul,  almost 
gasping  between  surprise  and  rapture — "  this  is  indeed 
beyond  all  my  hopes — and  this  generous  frankness, 

too,  in  your  lovely  daughter " 

Paul's  hands  had  been  transferred  to  those  of  the 
father,  he  knew  not  how ;  but  releasing  them  hurriedly, 
he  now  turned  in  quest  of  Eve  again,  and  found  she  had 
fled.  In  the  short  interval  between  the  address  of  her 
father  and  the  words  of  Paul,  she  had  found  means  to 
disappear,  leaving  the  gentlemen  together.  The  young 
man  would  have  followed,  but  the  cooler  head  of  Mr. 
Effingham  perceiving  that  the  occasion  was  favour 
able  to  a  private  conversation  with  his  accepted  son- 
in-law,  and  quite  as  unfavourable  to  one,  or  at 
least  to  a  very  rational  one,  between  the  lovers,  he 
luietly  took  the  young  man's  arm,  and  led  him 
33 


386  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

towards  a  more  private  walk.  There  half  an  hour  of 
confidential  discourse  calmed  the  feelings  of  both,  and 
rendered  Paul  Powis  one  of  the  happiest  of  human 
beings. 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 


44  You  shall  do  marvellous  wisely,  good  Reynaldo, 
Before  you  visit  him,  to  make  inquiry 
Of  his  behaviour." 

HAMLET. 


ANN  SIDLEY  was  engaged  among  the  dresses  of 
Eve,  as  she  loved  to  be,  although  Annette  held  her  taste 
in  too  low  estimation  ever  to  permit  her  to  apply  a 
needle,  or  even  to  fit  a  robe  to  the  beautiful  form  that 
was  to  wear  it,  when  our  heroine  glided  into  the  room 
and  sunk  upon  a  sofa.  Eve  was  too  much  absorbed 
with  her  own  feelings  to  observe  the  presence  of  her 
quiet  unobtrusive  old  nurse,  and  too  much  accustomed 
to  her  care  and  sympathy  to  heed  it,  had  it  been  seen. 
For  a  moment  she  remained,  her  face  still  suffused 
with  blushes,  her  hands  lying  before  her  folded,  her 
eyes  fixed  on  the  ceiling,  and  then  the  pent  emotions 
found  an  outlet  in  a  flood  of  tears. 

Poor  Ann  could  not  have  felt  more  shocked,  had 
she  heard  of  any  unexpected  calamity,  than  she  was 
at  this  sudden  outbreaking  of  feeling  in  her  child. 
She  went  to  her,  and  bent  over  her  with  the  solicitude 
of  a  mother,  as  she  inquired  into  the  causes  of  her 
apparent  sorrow. 

"  Tell  me,  Miss  Eve,  and  it  will  relieve  your  mind," 
said  the  faithful  woman ;  "  your  dear  mother  had  such 
feelings  sometimes,  and  I  never  dared  to  question  her 
about  them ;  but  you  are  my  own  child,  and  nothing 
can  grieve  you  without  grieving  me." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  387 

The  eyes  of  Eve  were  brilliant,  her  face  continued 
to  be  suffused,  and  the  smile  which  she  gave  through 
her  tears  was  so  bright,  as  to  leave  her  poor  attendant 
in  deep  perplexity  as  to  the  cause  of  a  gush  of  feel 
ing  that  was  very  unusual  in  one  of  the  other's  regu 
lated  mind. 

"  It  is  not  grief,  dear  Nanny," — Eve  at  length  mur 
mured — "  any  thing  but  that !  I  am  not  unhappy.  Oh ! 
no ;  as  far  from  unhappiness  as  possible." 

"  God  be  praised  it  is  so,  ma'am  !  I  was  afraid  that 
this  affair  of  the  English  gentleman  and  Miss  Grace 
might  not  prove  agreeable  to  you,  for  he  has  not  be 
haved  as  handsomely  as  he  might,  in  that  transaction." 

"  And  why  not,  my  poor  Nanny  1 — I  have  neither 
claim,  nor  the  wish  to  possess  a  claim,  on  Sir  George 
Templemore.  His  selection  of  my  cousin  has  given 
me  sincere  satisfaction,  rather  than  pain ;  were  he  a 
countryman  of  our  own,  I  should  say  unalloyed  satis 
faction,  for  I  firmly  believe  he  will  strive  to  make  her 
happy." 

Nanny  now  looked  at  her  young  mistress,  then  at 
the  floor ;  at  her  young  mistress  again,  and  afterwards 
at  a  rocket  that  was  sailing  athwart  the  sky.  Her 
eyes,  however,  returned  to  those  of  Eve,  and  encour 
aged  by  the  bright  beam  of  happiness  that  was  glowing 
in  the  countenance  she  so  much  loved,  she  ventured  to 
say — 

"  If  Mr.  Powis  were  a  more  presuming  gentleman 
than  he  is,  ma'am " 

"  You  mean  a  less  modest,  Nanny,"  said  Eve,  per 
ceiving  that  her  nurse  paused. 

"  Yes,  ma'am — one  that  thought  more  of  himself, 
and  less  of  other  people,  is  what  I  wish  to  say." 

"  And  were  this  the  case  ?" 

"  I  might  think  he  would  find  the  heart  to  say  what 
J  know  he  feels." 

"  And  did  he  find  the  heart  to  say  what  you  know 
he  feels,  what  does  Ann  Sidley  think  should  be  my 
answer?" 


388  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  Oh,  ma'am,  I  know  it  would  be  just  as  it  ought  to 
be.  I  cannot  repeat  what  ladies  say  on  such  occasions, 
but  I  know  that  it  is  what  makes  the  hearts  of  the  gen 
tlemen  leap  for  joy." 

There  are  occasions  in  which  woman  can  hardly 
dispense  with  the  sympathy  of  woman.  Eve  loved 
her  father  most  tenderly,  had  more  than  the  usual  con 
fidence  in  him,  for  she  had  never  known  a  mother ;  but 
had  the  present  conversation  been  with  him,  notwith 
standing  all  her  reliance  on  his  affection,  her  nature 
would  have  shrunk  from  pouring  out  her  feelings  as 
freely  as  she  might  have  done  with  her  other  parent, 
had  not  death  deprived  her  of  such  a  blessing.  Be 
tween  our  heroine  and  Ann  Sidley,  on  the  other  hand, 
there  existed  a  confidence  of  a  nature  so  peculiar,  as 
to  require  a  word  of  explanation  before  we  exhibit  its 
effects.  In  all  that  related  to  physical  wants,  Ann 
had  been  a  mother,  or  even  more  than  a  mother  to 
Eve,  and  this  alone  had  induced  great  personal  depend 
ence  in  the  one,  and  a  sort  of  supervisory  care  in  the 
other,  that  had  brought  her  to  fancy  she  was  responsi 
ble  for  the  bodily  health  and  well-doing  of  her  charge. 
But  this  was  not  all.  Nanny  had  been  the  repository 
of  Eve's  childish  griefs,  the  confidant  of  her  girlish  se 
crets  ;  and  though  the  years  of  the  latter  soon  caused 
her  to  be  placed  under  the  management  of  those  who 
wrere  better  qualified  to  store  her  mind,  this  communi 
cation  never  ceased ;  the  high-toned  and  educated  young 
woman  reverting  with  unabated  affection,  and  a  reli 
ance  that  nothing  could  shake,  to  the  long-tried  tender 
ness  of  the  being  who  had  watched  over  her  infancy. 
The  effect  of  such  an  intimacy  was  often  amusing ;  the 
one  party  bringing  to  the  conferences,  a  mind  filled 
with  the  knowledge  suited  to  her  sex  and  station,  habits 
that  had  been  formed  in  the  best  circles  of  Christendom, 
and  tastes  that  had  been  acquired  in  schools  of  high 
reputation ;  and  the  other,  little  more  than  her  single- 
hearted  love,  a  fidelity  that  ennobled  her  nature,  and  a 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  389 

simplicity  that  betokened  perfect  purity  of  thought 
Nor  was  this  extraordinary  confidence  without  its  ad 
vantages  to  Eve ;  for,  thrown  so  early  among  the  arti 
ficial  and  calculating,  it  served  to  keep  her  own  in 
genuousness  of  character  active,  and  prevented  that 
cold,  selfish,  and  unattractive  sophistication,  that  mere 
women  of  fashion  are  apt  to  fall  into,  from  their  iso 
lated  and  factitious  mode  of  existence.  When  Eve. 
therefore,  put  the  questions  to  her  nurse,  that  have  al 
ready  been  mentioned,  it  was  more  with  a  real  wish 
to  know  how  the  latter  would  view  a  choice  on  which 
her  own  mind  was  so  fully  made  up,  than  any  silly  tri 
fling  on  a  subject  that  engrossed  so  much  of  her  best 
affections. 

"  But  you  have  not  told  me,  dear  Nanny,"  she  con 
tinued,  "  what  you  would  have  that  answer  be. 
Ought  I,  for  instance,  ever  to  quit  my  beloved  father?" 

"What  necessity  would  there  be  for  that,  ma'am? 
Mr.  Powis  has  no  home  of  his  own ;  and,  for  that  mat 
ter,  scarcely  any  country " 

"  How  can  you  know  this,  Nanny  ?"  demanded  Eve, 
with  the  jealous  sensitiveness  of  a  young  love. 

"  Why,  Miss  Eve,  his  man  says  this  much,  and  he 
has  lived  with  him  long  enough  to  know  it,  if  he  had 
a  home.  Now,  I  seldom  sleep  without  looking  back 
at  the  day,  and  often  have  my  thoughts  turned  to  Sir 
George  Templemore  and  Mr.  Powis  ;  and  when  I  have 
remembered  that  the  first  had  a  house  and  a  home, 
and  that  the  last  had  neither,  it  has  always  seemed  to 
me  that  he  ought  to  be  the  one." 

"  And  then,  in  all  this  matter,,  you  have  thought  of 
convenience,  and  what  might  be  agreeable  to  others, 
rather  than  of  me." 

"  Miss  Eve  !" 

"Nay,  dearest  Nanny,  forgive  me;   I  know  your 

last   thought,   in  every  thing,  is   for  yourself.     But, 

surely,  the  mere  circumstance  that  he  had  no  home, 

ought  not  to  be  a  sufficient  reason  for  selecting  any 

33*  * 


390  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

man,  for  a  husband.  With  most  women  it  would  be 
an  objection." 

"  I  pretend  to  know  very  little  of  these  feelings,  Miss 
Eve.  I  have  been  wooed,  I  acknowledge ;  and  once  I 
do  think  I  might  have  been  tempted  to  marry,  had  it 
not  been  for  a  particular  circumstance." 

"  You  !  You  marry,  Ann  Sidley !"  exclaimed  .Eve, 
to  whom  the  bare  idea  seemed  as  odd  and  unnatural, 
as  that  her  own  father  should  forget  her  mother,  and 
take  a  second  wife.  "  This  is  altogether  new,  and  I 
should  be  glad  to  know  what  the  lucky  circumstance 
was,  which  prevented  what,  to  me,  might  have  proved 
so  great  a  calamity." 

"Why,  ma'am,  I  said  to  myself,  what  does  a  woman 
do,  who  marries  ?  She  vows  to  quit  all  else  to  go  with 
her  husband,  and  to  love  him  before  father  and  mother, 
and  all  other  living  beings  on  earth — is  it  not  so,  Miss 
Eve  ?" 

"  I  believe  it  is  so,  indeed,  Nanny — nay,  I  am  quite 
certain  it  is  so,"  Eve  answered,  the  colour  deepening 
on  her  cheek,  as  she  gave  this  opinion  to  her  old  nurse, 
with  the  inward  consciousness  that  she  had  just  expe 
rienced  some  of  the  happiest  moments  of  her  life, 
through  the  admission  of  a  passion  that  thus  over 
shadowed  all  the  natural  affections.  "  It  is,  truly,  as 
you  say." 

"  Well,  ma'am,  I  investigated  my  feelings,  I  believe 
they  call  it,  and  after  a  proper  trial,  I  found  that  I  loved 
you  so  much  better  than  any  one  else,  that  I  could  not, 
in  conscience,  make  the  vows." 

"  Dearest  Nanny  !  my  kind,  good,  faithful  old  nurse ! 
let  me  hold  you  in  my  arms :  and,  I,  selfish,  thought 
less,  heartless  girl,  would  forget  the  circumstance  that 
would  be  most  likely  to  keep  us  together,  for  the  re 
mainder  of  our  lives  !  Hist !  there  is  a  tap  at  the  door. 
It  is  Mrs.  Bloomfield  ;  I  know  her  light  step.  Admit 
her,  my  kind  Ann,  and  leave  us  together." 

The  bright  searching  eye  of  Mrs.  Bloomfield  was 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  391 

riveted  on  her  young  friend,  as  she  advanced  into  the 
room ;  and  her  smile,  usually  so  gay  and  sometimes 
ironical,  was  now  thoughtful  and  kind. 

"Well,  Miss  Effingham,"  she  cried,  in  a  manner 
that  her  looks  contradicted,  "  am  I  to  condole  with 
you,  or  to  congratulate? — For  a  more  sudden,  or 
miraculous  change  did  I  never  before  witness  in  a 
young  lady,  though  whether  it  be  for  the  better  or  the 

worse These  are  ominous  words,  too — for  *  better 

or  worse,  for  richer  or  poorer' " 

"  You  are  in  fine  spirits  this  evening,  my  dear  Mrs. 
Bloomfield,  and  appear  to  have  entered  into  the  gaieties 
of  the  Fun  of  Fire,  with  all  your " 

"  Might,  will  be  a  homely,  but  an  expressive  word. 
Your  Templeton  Fun  of  Fire  is  fiery  fun,  for  it  has 
cost  us  something  like  a  general  conflagration.  Mrs. 
Hawker  has  been  near  a  downfall,  Hike  your  great 
namesake,  by  a  serpent's  coming  too  near  her  dress ; 
one  barn,  I  hear,  has  actually  been  in  a  blaze,  and  Sir 
George  Templemore's  heart  is  in  cinders.  Mr.  John 
Effingham  has  been  telling  me  that  he  should  not  have 
been  a  bachelor,  had  there  been  two  Mrs.  Bloomfields 
in  the  world,  and  Mr.  Powis  looks  like  a  rafter  dug  out 
of  Herculaneum,  nothing  but  coal." 

"And  what  occasions  this  pleasantry?"  asked  Eve, 
so  composed  in  manner  that  her  friend  was  mo 
mentarily  deceived. 

Mrs.  Bloomfield  took  a  seat  on  the  sofa,  by  the 
side  of  our  heroine,  and  regarding  her  steadily  for 
near  a  minute,  she  continued — 

"  Hypocrisy  and  Eve  Effingham  can  have  little  in 
common,  and  my  ears  must  have  deceived  me." 

"  Your  ears,  dear  Mrs.  Bloomfield !" 

"  My  ears,  dear  Miss  Effingham.  I  very  well 
know  the  character  of  an  eaves-dropper,  but  if  gen 
tlemen  will  make  passionate  declarations  in  the  walks 
of  a  garden,  with  nothing  but  a  little  shrubbery  be- 
ween  his  ardent  declarations  and  the  curiosity  of  those 


392  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

who  may  happen  to  be  passing,  they  must  expect  to  b% 
overheard." 

Eve's  colour  had  gradually  increased  as  her  friend 
proceeded;  and  when  the  other  ceased  speaking,  as 
bright  a  bloom  glowed  on  her  countenance,  as  had 
shone  there  when  she  first  entered  the  room. 

"  May  I  ask  the  meaning  of  all  this  1"  she  said,  with 
an  effort  to  appear  calm. 

"  Certainly,  my  dear ;  and  you  shall  also  know  the 
feelings  that  prompt  it,  as  well  as  the  meaning,"  re 
turned  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  kindly  taking  Eve's  hand  in  a 
way  to  show  that  she  did  not  mean  to  trifle  further  on 
a  subject  that  was  of  so  much  moment  to  her  young 
friend.  "  Mr.  John  Effingham  and  myself  were  star 
gazing  at  a  point  where  two  walks  approach  each  other, 
just  as  you  and  Mr.  Powis  were  passing  in  the  adjoin 
ing  path.  Without  absolutely  stepping  our  ears,  it  was 
quite  impossible  not  to  hear  a  portion  of  your  conver 
sation.  We  both  tried  to  behave  honourably;  for  1 
coughed,  and  your  kinsman  actually  hemmed,  but  we 
were  unheeded." 

"Coughed  and  hemmed  !"  repeated  Eve,  in  greater 
oonfusion  than  ever.  "  There  must  be  some  mistake, 
dear  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  as  I  remember  to  have  heard  no 
such  signals." 

"  Quite  likely,  my  love,  for  there  was  a  time  when 
I  too  had  ears  for  only  one  voice ;  but  you  can  have 
affidavits  to  the  fact,  &  la  mode  de  New  England,  if  you 
require  them.  Do  not  mistake  my  motive,  neverthe 
less,  Miss  Effingham,  which  is  any  thing  but  vulgar 
curiosity" — here  Mrs.  Bloomfield  looked  so  kind  and 
friendly,  that  Eve  took  both  her  hands  and  pressed 
them  to  her  heart — "  you  are  motherless ;  without  even 
a  single  female  connexion  of  a  suitable  age  to  consult 
with  on  such  an  occasion,  and  fathers  after  all  are  but 
men " 

"  Mine  is  as  kind,  and  delicate,  and  tender,  as  any 
woman  can  be,  Mrs.  Bloomfield." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  393 

"  I  believe  it  all,  though  he  may  not  be  quite  as 
quick-sighted,  in  an  affair  of  this  nature. — Am  I  at 
liberty  to  speak  to  you  as  if  I  were  an  elder  sister  ?" 

"  Speak,  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  as  frankly  as  you  please, 
but  leave  me  the  mistress  of  my  answers."' 

"  It  is,  then,  as  I  suspected,"  said  Mrs.  Bloomfield, 
in  a  sort  of  musing  manner;  "the  men  have  been 
won  over,  and  this  young  creature  has  absolutely  been 
left  without  a  protector  in  the  most  important  moment 
of  her  life!" 

"  Mrs.  Bloomfield  ! — What  does  this  mean  ? — What 
can  it  mean  ?" 

"It  means  merely  general  principles,  child;  that 
your  father  and  cousin  have  been  parties  concerned, 
instead  of  vigilant  sentinels ;  and,  with  all  their  pre 
tended  care,  that  you  have  been  left  to  grope  your 
way  in  the  darkness  of  female  uncertainty,  with  one 
of  the  most  pleasing  young  men  in  the  country  con 
stantly  before  you,  to  help  the  obscurity." 

It  is  a  dreadful  moment,  when  we  are  taught  to 
doubt  the  worth  of  those  we  love ;  and  Eve  became 
pale  as  death,  as  she  listened  to  the  words  of  her  friend. 
Once  before,  on  the  occasion  of  Paul's  return  to  Eng 
land,  she  had  felt  a  pang  of  that  sort,  though  reflection, 
and  a  calm  revision  of  all  his  acts  and  words  since 
they  first  met  in  Germany,  had  enabled  her  to  get  the 
better  of  indecision,  and  when  she  first  saw  him  on  the 
mountain,  nearly  every  unpleasant  apprehension  and 
distrust  had  been  dissipated  by  an  effort  of  pure  reason. 
His  own  explanations  had  cleared  up  the  unpleasant 
affair,  and, from  that  moment,  she  had  regarded  him  alto 
gether  with  the  eyes  of  a  confiding  partiality.  The  speech 
of  Mrs.  Bloomfield  now  sounded  like  words  of  doom  to 
her,  and,  for  an  instant,  her  friend  was  frightened  with 
the  effects  of  her  own  imperfect  communication.  Until 
that  moment  Mrs.  Bloomfield  had  formed  no  just  idea 
of  the  extent  to  which  the  feelings  of  Eve  were  inter- 
"sted  in  Paul,  for  she  had  but  an  imperfect  knowledge 


394  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

of  their  early  association  in  Europe,  and  she  sincerely 
repented  having  introduced  the  subject  at  all.  It  was 
too  late  to  retreat,  however,  and,  first  folding  Eve  in 
her  arms,  and  kissing  her  cold  forehead,  she  hastened 
to  repair  a  part,  at  least,  of  the  mischief  she  had  done. 

"  My  words  have  been  too  strong,  I  fear,"  she  said, 
"  but  such  is  my  general  horror  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  young  of  our  sex,  in  this  country,  are  abandoned 
to  the  schemes  of  the  designing  and  selfish  of  the  other, 
that  I  am,  perhaps,  too  sensitive  when  I  see  any  one 
that  I  love  thus  exposed.  You  are  known,  my  dear,  to 
be  one  of  the  richest  heiresses  of  the  country ;  and,  I 
blush  to  say  that  no  accounts  of  European  society  that 
we  have,  make  fortune-hunting  a  more  regular  occu 
pation  there,  than  it  has  got  to  be  here." 

The  paleness  left  Eve's  face,  and  a  look  of  slight 
displeasure  succeeded. 

"  Mr.  Powis  is  no  fortune-hunter,  Mrs.  Bloomfield," 
she  said,  steadily ;  "  his  whole  conduct  for  three  years 
has  been  opposed  to  such  a  character ;  and,  then,  though 
not  absolutely  rich,  perhaps,  he  has  a  gentleman's  in 
come,  and  is  removed  from  the  necessity  of  being 
reduced  to  such  an  act  of  baseness." 

"  I  perceive  my  error,  but  it  is  now  too  late  to  re 
treat.  I  do  not  say  that  Mr.  Powis  is  a  fortune-hunter, 
but.  there  are  circumstances  connected  with  his  history, 
that  you  ought  at  least  to  know,  and  that  immediately. 
I  have  chosen  to  speak  to  you,  rather  than  to  speak  to 
your  father,  because  I  thought  you  might  like  a  female 
confidant  on  such  occasion,  in  preference  even  to  your 
excellent  natural  protector.  The  idea  of  Mrs.  Haw 
ker  occurred  to  me,  on  account  of  her  age ;  but  I  did 
not  feel  authorised  to  communicate  to  her  a  secret  of 
which  I  had  myself  become  so  accidentally  possessed.' 

"  I  appreciate  your  motive  fully,  dearest  Mrs.  Bloom- 
field,"  said  Eve,  smiling  with  all  her  native  sweetness, 
and  greatly  relieved,  for  she  now  began  to  think  that 
too  keen  a  sensitiveness  on  the  subject  of  Paul  had 


HOME   AS    FOUffD.  395 

unnecessarily  alarmed  her,  "  and  beg  there  may  be  no 
reserves  between  us.  If  you  know  a  reason  why  Mr. 
Powis  should  not  be  received  as  a  suitor,  I  entreat  you 
to  mention  it." 

"Is  he  Mr.  Powis  at  all?" 

Again  Eve  smiled,  to  Mrs.  Bloomfield's  great  sur 
prise,  for,  as  the  latter  had  put  the  question  with  sin 
cere  reluctance,  she  was  astonished  at  the  coolness 
with  which  it  was  received. 

"  He  is  not  Mr.  Powis,  legally  perhaps,  though  he 
might  be,  but  that  he  dislikes  the  publicity  of  an  appli 
cation  to  the  legislature.  His  paternal  name  is  Asshe- 
ton." 

"  You  know  his  history,  then !" 

"  There  has  been  no  reserve  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Powis ;  least  of  all,  any  deception." 

Mrs.  Bloomfield  appeared  perplexed,  even  distressed ; 
and  there  was  a  brief  space,  during  which  her  mind 
was  undecided  as  to  the  course  she  ought  to  take. 
That  she  had  committed  an  error  by  attempting  a  con 
sultation,  in  a  matter  of  the  heart,  with  one  of  her  own 
sex,  after  the  affections  were  engaged,  she  discovered 
when  it  was  too  late ;  but  she  prized  Eve's  friendship 
too  much,  and  had  too  just  a  sense  of  what  was  due 
to  herself,  to  leave  the  affair  where  it  was,  or  without 
clearing  up  her  own  unasked  agency  in  it. 

"  I  rejoice  to  learn  this,"  she  said,  as  soon  as  her 
doubts  had  ended,  "  for  frankness,  while  it  is  one  of  the 
safest,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  traits  in  human  cha 
racter  ;  but  beautiful  though  it  be,  it  is  one  that  the 
other  sex  uses  least  to  our  own." 

"  Is  our  own  too  ready  to  use  it  to  the  other  ?" 

"  Perhaps  not :  it  might  be  better  for  both  parties, 
were  there  less  deception  practised  during  the  period 
of  courtship,  generally :  but  as  this  is  hopeless,  and 
might  destroy  some  of  the  most  pleasing  illusions  of 
life,  we  will  not  enter  into  a  treatise  on  the  frauds  of 
Cupid.  Now  to  my  own  confessions,  which  I  make 


396  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

all  the  more  willingly,  because  I  know  they  are  ut 
tered  to  the  ear  of  one  of  a  forgiving  temperament, 
and  who  is  disposed  to  view  even  my  follies  favourably.'* 

The  kind  but  painful  smile  of  Eve,  assured  the 
speaker  she  was  not  mistaken,  and  she  continued,  after 
taking  time  to  read  the  expression  of  the  countenance 
of  her  young  friend — 

"  In  common  with  all  of  New-York,  that  town  of 
babbling  misses,  who  prattle  as  water  flows,  without 
consciousness  or  effort,  and  of  whiskered  masters,  who 
fa.ncy  Broadway  the  world,  and  the  flirtations  of  mi 
niature  drawing-rooms,  human  nature,  I  believed,  on 
your  return  from  Europe,  that  an  accepted  suitor  fol 
lowed  in  your  train,  in  the  person  of  Sir  George  Tem- 
plemore." 

"  Nothing  in  my  deportment,  or  in  that  of  Sir  George, 
or  in  that  of  any  of  my  family,  could  justly  have  given 
rise  to  such  a  notion,"  said  Eve,  quickly. 

"  Justly !  What  has  justice,  or  truth,  or  even  pro 
bability,  to  do  with  a  report,  of  which  love  and  mat 
rimony  are  the  themes?  Do  you  not  know  society  better 
than  to  fancy  this  improbability,  child  ?" 

"  I  know  that  our  own  sex  would  better  consult  their 
own  dignity  and  respectability,  my  dear  Mrs.  Bloom- 
field,  if  they  talked  less  of  such  matters ;  and  that 
they  would  be  more  apt  to  acquire  the  habits  of  good 
taste,  not  to  say  of  good  principles,  if  they  confined 
their  strictures  more  to  things  and  sentiments  than  they 
do,  and  meddled  less  with  persons." 

"And  pray,  is  there  no  tittle-tattle,  no  scandal,  no 
commenting  on  one's  neighbours,  in  other  civilized  na 
tions  besides  this?"  «=': 

"  Unquestionably ;  though  I  believe,  as  a  rule,  it  is 
every  where  thought  to  uc  inherently  vulgar,  and  a 
proof  of  low  associations." 

"  In  that,  we  are  perfectly  of  a  mind ;  for,  if  there 
be  any  thing  that  betrays  a  consciousness  of  inferi 
ority,  it  is  our  rendering  others  of  so  much  obvious 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  397 

impoitance  to  ourselves,  as  to  make  them  the  subjects 
of  our  constant  conversation.  We  may  speak  of  vir 
tues,  for  therein  we  pay  an  homage  to  that  which  is 
good  ;  but  when  we  come  to  dwell  on  personal  faults, 
it  is  rather  a  proof  that  we  have  a  silent  conviction  of 
the  superiority  of  the  subject  of  our  comments  to  our 
selves,  either  in  character,  talents,  social  position,  or 
something  else  that  is  deemed  essential,  than  of  our 
distaste  for  his  failings.  Who,  for  instance,  talks  scan- 
d*.l  of  his  grocer,  or  of  his  shoemaker  ?  No,  no,  our 
pride  forbids  this ;  we  always  make  our  betters  the 
subject  of  our  strictures  by  preference,  taking  up  with 
our  equals  only  when  we  can  get  none  of  a  higher 
class." 

"  This  quite  reconciles  me  to  having  been  given  to 
Sir  George  Templemore,  by  the  world  of  New- York," 
said  Eve,  smiling. 

"  And  well  it  may,  for  they  who  have  prattled  of 
your  engagement,  have  done  so  principally  because 
they  are  incapable  of  maintaining  a  conversation  on 
any  thing  else.  But,  all  this  time,  I  fear  I  stand  ac 
cused  in  your  mind,  of  having  given  advice  unasked, 
and  of  feeling  an  alarm  in  an  affair  that  affected  others, 
instead  of  myself,  which  is  the  very  sin  that  we  lay  at 
the  door  of  our  worthy  Manhattanese.  In  common 
with  all  around  me,  then,  I  fancied  Sir  George  Tem 
plemore  an  accepted  lover,  and,  by  habit,  had  gotten 
to  associate  you  together  in  my  pictures.  On  my 
arrival  here,  however,  I  will  confess  that  Mr.  Powis, 
whom,  you  will  remember,  I  had  never  seen  before, 
struck  me  as  much  the  most  dangerous  man. — Shall 
I  own  all  my  absurdity?" 

"  Even  to  the  smallest  shade." 

"Well,  then,  I  confess  to  having  supposed  that, 
while  the  excellent  father  believed  you  were  in  a  fair 
way  to  become  Lady  Templemore,  the  equally  excel 
lent  daughter  thought  the  other  suitor,  infinitely  the 
most  agreeable  person." 
34 


398  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  What !  in  contempt  of  a  betrothal  ?" 

"Of  course  I,  at  once,  ascribed  that  part  of  the 
report  to  the  usual  embellishments.  We  do  not  like  to 
be  deceived  in  our  calculations,  or  to  discover  that 
even  our  gossip  has  misled  us.  In  pure  resentment  at 
my  own  previous  delusion,  I  began  to  criticise  this 
Mr.  Powis " 

"  Criticise,  Mrs.  Bloomfield  !" 

"To  find  fault  with  him,  my  dear ;  to  try  to  think 
he  was  not  just  the  handsomest  and  most  engaging 
young  man  I  had  ever  seen  ;  to  imagine  what  he  ought 
to  be,  in  place  of  what  he  was;  and  among  other 
things,  to  inquire  who  he  was  ?" 

"  You  did  not  think  proper  to  ask  that  question  ot 
any  of  us"  said  Eve,  gravely. 

"  I  did  not ;  for  I  discovered  by  instinct,  or  intuition, 
or  conjecture — they  mean  pretty  much  the  same  thing, 
I  believe — that  there  was  a  mystery  about  him  ;  some 
thing  that  even  his  Templeton  friends  did  not  quite 
understand,  and  a  lucky  thought  occurred  of  making 
my  inquiries  of  another  person." 

"They  were  answered  satisfactorily,"  said  Eve, 
looking  up  at  her  friend,  with  the  artless  confidence 
that  marks  her  sex,  when  the  affections  have  gotten 
the  mastery  of  reason. 

"  Cosi,  cost.  Bloomfield  has  a  brother  who  is  in  the 
Navy,  as  you  know,  and  I  happened  to  remember  that 
he  had  once  spoken  of  an  officer  of  the  namg  of 
Powis,  who  had  performed  a  clever  thing  in  the  West 
Indies,  when  they  were  employed  together  against  the 
pirates.  I  wrote  to  him  one  of  my  usual  letters,  that 
are  compounded  of  all  things  in  nature  and  art,  and 
took  an  occasion  to  allude  to  a  certain  Mr.  Paul 
Powis,  with  a  general  remark  that  he  had  formerly 
served,  together  with  a  particular  inquiry  if  he  knew 
any  thing  about  him.  All  this,  no  doubt,  you  think 
very  officious ;  but  believe  me,  dear  Eve,  where  there 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  399 

was  as  much  interest  as  I  felt  and  feel  in  you,  it  was 
very  natural." 

*f  So  far  from  entertaining  resentment,  I  am  grate 
ful  for  your  concern,  especially  as  I  know  it  was  mani 
fested  cautiously,  and  without  any  unpleasant  allusions 
to  third  persons." 

"  In  that  respect  I  believe  I  did  pretty  well.  Tom 
Bloomfield — I  beg  his  pardon,  Captain  Bloomfield,  for 
so  he  calls  himself,  at  present — knows  Mr.  Powis  well; 
or,  rather  did  know  him,  for  they  have  not  met  for 
years,  and  he  speaks  of  his  personal  qualities  and  pro 
fessional  merit  highly,  but  takes  occasion  to  remark 
that  there  was  some  mystery  connected  with  his  birth, 
as,  before  he  joined  the  service  he  understood  he  was 
called  Assheton,  and  at  a  later  day,  Powis,  and  this 
without  any  public  law,  or  public  avowal  of  a  motive. 
Now,  it  struck  me  that  Eve  Effingham  ought  not  to  be 
permitted  to  form  a  connection  with  a  man  so  un 
pleasantly  situated,  without  being  apprised  of  the  fact. 
I  was  waiting  for  a  proper  occasion  to  do  this  ungrate 
ful  office  myself,  when  accident  made  me  acquainted 
with  what  has  passed  this  evening,  and  perceiving  that 
there  was  no  time  to  lose,  I  came  hither,  more  led  by 
interest  in  you,  my  dear,  perhaps,  than  by  discretion." 

"  I  thank  you  sincerely  for  this  kind  concern  in  my 
welfare,  dear  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  and  give  you  full  credit 
for  the  motive.  Will  you  permit  me  to  inquire  how 
much  you  know  of  that  which  passed  this  evening  ?" 

"  Simply  that  Mr.  Powis  is  desperately  in  love,  a 
declaration  that  I  take  it  is  always  dangerous  to  the 
peace  of  mind  of  a  young  woman,  when  it  comes 
from  a  very  engaging  young  man." 

"  And  my  part  of  the  dialogue — "  Eve  blushed  to 
the  eyes  as  she  asked  this  question,  though  she  made 
a  great  effort  to  appear  calm — "  my  answer  ?" 

"  There  was  too  much  of  woman  in  me — of  true, 
genuine,  loyal,  native  woman,  Miss  Effingham,  to  listen 
to  that,  had  there  been  an  opportunity.  We  were  but 


400  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

a  moment  near  enough  to  hear  any  thing,  though  that 
moment  sufficed  to  let  us  know  the  state  of  feelings  of 
the  gentleman.  I  ask  no  confidences,  my  dear  Eve, 
and  now  that  I  have  made  my  explanations,  lame 
though  they  be,  I  will  kiss  you  and  repair  to  the  draw 
ing-room,  where  we  shall  both  be  soon  missed.  For 
give  me,  if  I  have  seemed  impertinent  in  my  interfe 
rence,  and  continue  to  ascribe  it  to  its  true  motive." 

"  Stop,  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  I  entreat,  for  a  single  mo 
ment  ;  I  wish  to  say  a  word  before  we  part.  As  you 
have  been  accidentally  made  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Powis's  sentiments  towards  me,  it  is  no  more  than  just 
that  you  should  know  the  nature  of  mine  towards 
him " 

Eve  paused  involuntarily,  for,  though  she  had  com 
menced  her  explanation,  with  a  firm  intention  to  do 
justice  to  Paul,  the  bashfulness  of  her  sex  held  her 
tongue  tied,  at  the  very  moment  her  desire  to  speak 
was  the  strongest.  An  effort  conquered  the  weakness, 
and  the  warm-hearted,  generous-minded  girl  succeeded 
in  commanding  her  voice. 

"  I  cannot  allow  you  to  go  away  with  the  impres 
sion,  that  there  is  a  shade  of  any  sort  on  the  conduct 
of  Mr.  Powis,"  she  said.  "  So  far  from  desiring  to 
profit  by  the  accidents  that  have  placed  it  in  his  power 
to  render  us  such  essential  service,  he  has  never  spo 
ken  of  his  love  until  this  evening,  and  then  under  cir 
cumstances  in  which  feeling,  naturally,  perhaps  I  might 
say  uncontrollably,  got  the  ascendency." 

"  I  believe  it  all,  for  I  feel  certain  Eve  Effingham 
would  not  bestow  her  heart  heedlessly." 

"  Heart !— Mrs.  Bloomfield !" 

"  Heart,  my  dear ;  and  now  I  insist  on  the  subject's 
being  dropped,  at  least,  for  the  present.  Your  deci 
sion  is  probably  not  yet  made — you  are  not  yet  an 
hour  in  possession  of  your  suitor's  secret,  and  prudence 
demands  deliberation.  I  shall  hope  to  see  you  in  the 
drawing-room,  and  until  then,  adieu." 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  401 

Mrs.  Bloomfield  signed  for  silence,  and  quitted  the 
room  with  the  same  light  tread  as  that  with  which  she 
had  entered  it. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


"  To  show  virtue  her  own  feature,  scorn  her  own  image,  and  the  very 
age  and  body  of  the  time,  his  form  and  pressure." 

SHAKSPEARE. 

WHEN  Mrs.  Bloomfield  entered  the  drawing-room, 
she  found  nearly  the  whole  party  assembled.  The 
Fun  of  Fire  had  ceased,  and  the  rockets  no  longer 
gleamed  athwart  the  sky ;  but  the  blaze  of  artificial 
light  within,  was  more  than  a  substitute  for  that  which 
had  so  lately  existed  without. 

Mr.  Effingham  and  Paul  were  conversing  by  them 
selves,  in  a  window-seat,  while  John  Effingham,  Mrs. 
Hawker,  and  Mr.  Howel  were  in  an  animated  discus 
sion  on  a  sofa ;  Mr.  Wenham  had  also  joined  the  party, 
arid  was  occupied  with  Captain  Ducie,  though  not  so 
much  so  as  to  prevent  occasional  glances  at  the  trio 
just  mentioned.  Sir  George  Templemore  and  Grace 
Van  Cortlandt  were  walking  together  in  the  great  hall, 
and  were  visible  through  the  open  door,  as  they  passed 
and  repassed. 

"  I  am  glad  of  your  appearance  among  us,  Mrs. 
Bloomfield,"  said  John  Effingham,  "  for,  certainly  more 
Anglo-mania  never  existed  than  that  which  my  good 
friend  Howel  manifests  this  evening,  and  I  have  hopes 
that  your  eloquence  may  persuade  him  out  of  some  of 
those  notions,  on  which  my  logic  has  fallen  like  seed 
scattered  by  the  way-side/5 

"  I  can  have  little  hopes  of  success  where  Mr.  John 
Effingham  has  failed." 

"  I  am  far  from  being  certain  of  that ;  for,  somehow, 
34* 


402  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

Howel  has  taken  up  the  notion  that  I  have  gotten  a 
grudge  against  England,  and  he  listens  to  all  I  say 
with  distrust  and  distaste." 

"  Mr.  John  uses  strong  language  habitually,  ma'am," 
cried  Mr.  Howel,  "  and  you  will  make  some  allowances 
for  a  vocabulary  that  has  no  very  mild  terms  in  it ; 
though,  to  be  frank,  I  do  confess  that  he  seems  preju 
diced  on  the  subject  of  that  great  nation." 

"  What  is  the  point  in  immediate  controversy,  gen 
tlemen  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  taking  a  seat. 

"  Why  here  is  a  review'  of  a  late  American  work, 
ma'am,  and  I  insist  that  the  author  is  skinned  alive, 
whereas,  Mr.  John  insists  that  the  reviewer  exposes 
only  his  own  rage,  the  work  having  a  national  charac 
ter,  and  running  counter  to  the  reviewer's  feelings  and 
interests." 

"  Nay,  I  protest  against  this  statement  of  the  case, 
for  I  affirm  that  the  reviewer  exposes  a  great  deal 
more  than  his  rage,  since  his  imbecility,  ignorance, 
and  dishonesty  are  quite  as  apparent  as  any  thing 
else." 

"  I  have  read  the  article,"  said  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  after 
glancing  her  eye  at  the  periodical,  "  and  I  must  say 
that  I  take  sides  with  Mr.  John  Effingham  in  his  opi 
nion  of  its  character." 

"  But  do  you  not  perceive,  ma'am,  that  this  is  the 
idol  of  the  nobility  and  gentry ;  the  work  that  is  more 
in  favour  with  people  of  consequence  in  England  than 
any  other.  Bishops  are  said  to  write  for  it !" 

"  I  know  it  is  a  work  expressly  established  to  sustain 
one  of  the  most  factitious  political  systems  that  ever 
existed,  and  that  it  sacrifices  every  high  quality  to 
attain  its  end." 

"  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  you  amaze  me !  The  first  writers 
of  Great  Britain  figure  in  its  pages." 

"  That  I  much  question,  in  the  first  place;  but  even 
if  it  were  so,  it  would  be  but  a  shallow  mystification. 
Although  a  man  of  character  might  write  one  article 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  403 

in  a  work  of  this  nature,  it  does  not  follow  that  a  man 
of  no  character  does  not  write  the  next.  The  princi 
ples  of  the  communications  of  a  periodical  are  as  dif 
ferent  as  their  talents." 

"  But  the  editor  is  a  pledge  for  all. — The  editor  of 
this  review  is  an  eminent  writer  himself." 

"  A9  eminent  writer  may  be  a  very  great  knave,  in 
the  first  place,  and  one  fact  is  worth  a  thousand  con 
jectures  in  such  a  matter.  But  we  do  not  know  that 
there  is  any  responsible  editor  to  works  of  this  nature 
at  all,  for  there  is  no  name  given  in  the  title-page,  and 
nothing  is  more  common  than  vague  declarations  of  a 
want  of  this  very  responsibility.  But  if  I  can  prove 
to  you  that  this  article  cannot  have  been  written  by  a 
man  of  common  honesty,  Mr.  Howel,  what  will  you 
then  say  to  the  responsibility  of  your  editor?" 

"  In  that  case  I  shall  be  compelled  to  admit  that  he 
had  no  connexion  with  it." 

"  Any  thing  in  preference  to  giving  up  the  beloved 
idol !"  said  John  Effingham  laughing.  "  Why  not  add 
at  once,  that  he  is  as  great  a  knave  as  the  writer  him 
self?  I  am  glad,  however,  that  Tom  Howel  has 
fallen  into  such  good  hands,  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  and  I 
devoutly  pray  you  may  not  spare  him." 

We  have  said  that  Mrs.  Bloomfield  had  a  rapid  per 
ception  of  things  and  principles,  that  amounted  almost 
to  intuition.  She  had  read  the  article  in  question,  and, 
as  she  glanced  her  eyes  through  its  pages,  had  detected 
its  fallacies  and  falsehoods,  in  almost  every  sentence. 
Indeed,  they  had  not  been  put  together  with  ordinary 
skill,  the  writer  having  evidently  presumed  on  the  easi 
ness  of  the  class  of  readers  who  generally  swallowed 
his  round  assertions,  and  were  so  clumsily  done  that 
any  one  who  had  not  the  faith  to  move  mountains 
would  have  seen  through  most  of  them  without  diffi 
culty.  But  Mr.  Howel  belonged  to  another  school, 
and  he  was  so  much  accustomed  to  shut  his  eyes  to 
the  palpable  mystification  mentioned  by  Mrs.  Bloom- 


404  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

field,  that  a  lie,  which,  advanced  in  most  works,  would 
have  carried  no  weight  with  it,  advanced  in  this  par 
ticular  periodical  became  elevated  to  the  dignity  of 
truth. 

Mrs.  Bloomfield  turned  to  an  article  on  America,  in 
the  periodical  in  question,  and  read  from  it  several  dis 
paraging  expressions  concerning  Mr.  Howel'^  native 
country,  one  of  which  was,  "  The  American's  first 
plaything  is  the  rattle-snake's  tail." 

"Now,  what  do  you  think  of  this  assertion  in  parti 
cular,  Mr.  Howel  I"  she  asked,  reading  the  words  we 
have  just  quoted. 

"  Oh !  that  is  said  in  mere  pleasantry — it  is  only 
wit." 

"  Well,  then,  what  do  you  think  of  it  as  wit  ?" 

"  Well,  well,  it  may  not  be  of  a  very  pure  wrater, 
but  the  best  of  men  are  unequal  at  all  times,  and  more 
especially  in  their  wit." 

"  Here,"  continued  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  pointing  to 
another  paragraph,  "  is  a  positive  statement  or  misstate- 
ment,  which  makes  the  cost  of  the  4  civil  department  of 
the  United  States  Government,'  about  six  times  more 
than  it  really  is." 

"  Our  government  is  so  extremely  mean,  that  I  as 
cribe  that  error  to  generosity." 

"Well,"  continued  the  lady,  smiling,  "here  the  re 
viewer  asserts  that  Congress  passed  a  law  limiting  the 
size  of  certain  ships,  in  order  to  please  the  democracy ; 
and  that  the  Executive  privately  evaded  this  law,  and 
built  vessels  of  a  much  greater  size  ;  whereas  the  pro 
vision  of  the  law  is  just  the  contrary,  or  that  the  ships 
should  not  be  less  than  of  seventy-four  guns ;  a  piece 
of  information,  by  the  way,  that  I  obtained  from  Mr. 
Powis." 

"  Ignorance,  ma'am ;  a  stranger  cannot  be  supposed 
to  know  all  the  laws  of  a  foreign  country." 

"  Then  why  make  bold  and  false  assertions  about 
them,  that  are  intended  to  discredit  the  country  ?  Here 


HOME   A>    POUND.  405 

is  another  assertion — "  ten  thousand  of  the  men  that 
fought  at  Waterloo  would  have  marched  through 
North  America  V  Do  you  believe  that,  Mr.  Howel  V 

"  But  that  is  merely  an  opinion,  Mrs.  Bloomfield  j 
any  man  may  be  wrong  in  his  opinion." 

"  Very  true,  but  it  is  an  opinion  uttered  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  twenty- 
eight  ;  and  after  the  battles  of  Bunker  Hill,  Cowpens, 
Plattsburg,  Saratoga,  and  New-Orleans !  And,  more 
over,  after  it  had  been  proved  that  something  very  like 
ten  thousand  of  the  identical  men  who  fought  at  Water 
loo,  could  not  march  even  ten  miles  into  the  country." 

"Well,  well,  all  this  shows  that  the  reviewer  is  some 
times  mistaken." 

"  Your  pardon  Mr.  Howel ;  I  think  it  shows,  ac 
cording  to  your  own  admission,  that  his  wit,  or  rather 
its  wit,  for  there  is  no  his  about  it — that  its  wit  is  of  a 
very  indifferent  quality  as  witticisms  even ;  that  it  is 
ignorant  of  what  it  pretends  to  know;  and  that  its  opi 
nions  are  no  better  than  its  knowledge :  all  of  which, 
when  fairly  established  against  one  who,  by  his  very 
pursuit,  professes  to  know  more  than  other  people,  is 
very  much  like  making  it  appear  contemptible." 

"  This  is  going  back  eight  or  ten  years — let  us  look 
more  particularly  at  the  article  about  which  the  discus 
sion  commences." 

"  Volontiers." 

Mrs.  Bloomfield  now  sent  to  the  library  for  the  work 
reviewed,  and  opening  the  review  she  read  some  of 
its  strictures ;  and  then  turning  to  the  corresponding 
passages  in  the  work  itself,  she  pointed  out  the  unfair 
ness  of  the  quotations,  the  omissions  of  the  context, 
and,  in  several  flagrant  instances,  witticisms  of  the  re 
viewer,  that  were  purchased  at  the  expense  of  the  En 
glish  language.  She  next  showed  several  of  those 
audacious  assertions,  for  which  the  particular  periodi 
cal  was  so  remarkable,  leaving  no  doubt  with  any 
candid  person,  that  they  were  purchased  at  the  expense 
of  truth. 


406  HOME    AS    TOUND. 

"  But  here  is  an  instance  that  will  scarce  admit  of  ca 
villing  or  objection  on  your  part,  Mr.  Howel,"  she  contin 
ued;  "do  me  the  favour  to  read  the  passage  in  the  review." 

Mr.  Howel  complied,  and  when  he  had  done,  he 
looked  expectingly  at  the  lady. 

"  The  effect  of  the  reviewer's  statement  is  to  make  it 
appear  that  the  author  has  contradicted  himself,  is  it  not?" 

"  Certainly,  nothing  can  be  plainer." 

"According  to  your  favourite  reviewer,  who  accuses 
him  of  it,  in  terms.  Now  let  us  look  at  the  fact.  Here 
is  the  passage  in  the  work  itself.  In  the  first  place  you 
will  remark  that  this  sentence,  which  contains  the 
alleged  contradiction,  is  mutilated ;  the  part  which  is 
omitted,  giving  a  directly  contrary  meaning  to  it,  from 
that  it  bears  under  the  reviewer's  scissors." 

"  It  has  some  such  appearance,  I  do  confess." 

"  Here  you  perceive  that  the  closing  sentence  of  the 
same  paragraph,  and  which  refers  directly  to  the  point 
at  issue,  is  displaced,  made  to  appear  as  belonging  to 
a  separate  paragraph,  and  as  conveying  a  different 
meaning  from  what  the  author  has  actually  expressed." 

"  Upon  my  word,  I  do  not  know  but  you  are  right !" 

"  Well,  Mr.  Howel,  we  have  had  wit  of  no  very 
pure  water,  ignorance  as  relates  to  facts,  and  mistakes 
as  regards  very  positive  assertions.  In  what  category, 
as  Captain  Truck  would  say,  do  you  place  this  ?" 

"  Why  does  not  the  author  reviewed  expose  this  ?" 

"  Why  does  not  a  gentleman  wrangle  with  a  de 
tected  pick-pocket  ?" 

"It  is  literary  swindling,"  said  John  Effingham, 
"  and  the  man  who  did  it,  is  inherently  a  knave." 

"  I  think  both  these  facts  quite  beyond  dispute,"  ob 
served  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  laying  down  Mr.  Howel's 
favourite  review  with  an  air  of  cool  contempt ;  "  and  I 
must  say  I  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  prove  the 
general  character  of  the  work,  at  this  late  date,  to  any 
American  of  ordinary  intelligence ;  much  less  to  a 
sensible  man,  like  Mr.  Howel." 


HOME    AS    TOLND.  407 

"  But,  ma'am,  there  may  be  much  truth  and  justice 
in  the  rest  of  its  remarks,"  returned  the  pertinacious 
Mr.  Howel,  "  although  it  has  fallen  into  these  mistakes." 

"Were  you  ever  on  a  jury,  Howel?'  asked  John 
Effingham,  in  his  caustic  manner. 

"  Often ;  and  on  grand  juries,  too." 

"Well,  did  the  judge  never  tell  you,  when  a  wit 
ness  is  detected  in  lying  on  one  point,  that  his  testimony 
is  valueless  on  all  others  ?" 

"  Very  true ;  but  this  is  a  review,  and  not  testimony." 

"  The  distinction  is  certainly  a  very  good  one," 
resumed  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  laughing,  "  as  nothing,  in 
general,  can  be  less  like  honest  testimony  than  a 
review !" 

"  But  I  think,  my  dear  ma'am,  you  will  allow  that 
all  this  is  excessively  biting  and  severe — I  can't  say  I 
ever  read  any  thing  sharper  in  my  life." 

"  It  strikes  me,  Mr.  Howel,  as  being  nothing  but 
epithets,  the  cheapest  and  most  contemptible  of  all 
species  of  abuse.  Were  two  men,  in  your  presence,  to 
call  each  other  such  names,  I  think  it  would  excite 
nothing  but  disgust  in  your  mind.  When  the  thought 
is  clear  and  poignant,  there  is  little  need  to  have 
recourse  to  mere  epithets ;  indeed,  men  never  use  the 
latter,  except  when  there  is  a  deficiency  of  the  first." 

"  Well,  well,  my  friends,"  cried  Mr.  Howel,  as  he 
walked  away  towards  Grace  and  Sir  George,  "  this 
is  a  different  thing  from  what  I  at  first  thought  it,  but 
still  I  think  you  undervalue  the  periodical." 

"  I  hope  this  little  lesson  will  cool  some  of  Mr.  How- 
el's  faith  in  foreign  morality,"  observed  Mrs.  Bloom- 
field,  as  soon  as  the  gentleman  named  was  out  of  hear 
ing  ;  "  a  more  credulous  and  devout  worshipper  of  the 
idol,  I  have  never  before  met." 

"  The  school  is  diminishing,  but  it  is  still  large.  Men 
like  Tom  Howel,  who  have  thought  in  one  direction 
all  their  lives,  are  not  easily  brought  to  change  their 
notions,  especially  when  the  admiration  which  pro 
ceeds  from  distance,  distance  *  that  lends  enchantment 


408  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

to  the  view,'  is  at  the  bottom  of  their  faith.  Had  this 
very  article  been  written  and  printed  round  the  corner 
of  the  street  in  which  he  lives,  Howel  would  be  the 
first  to  say  that  it  was  the  production  of  a  fellow  with 
out  talents  or  principles,  and  was  unworthy  of  a  second 
thought." 

"  I  still  think  he  will  be  a  wiser,  if  not  a  better  man, 
by  the  exposure  of  its  frauds." 

"  Not  he.  If  you  will  excuse  a  homely  and  a  coarse 
simile,  '  he  will  return  like  a  dog  to  his  vomit,  or  the 
sow  to  its  wallowing  in  the  mire.'  I  never  knew  one 
of  that  school  thoroughly  cured,  until  he  became  him 
self  the  subject  of  attack,  or,  by  a  close  personal  com 
munication,  was  made  to  feel  the  superciliousness  of 
European  superiority.  It  is  only  a  week  since  I  had 
a  discussion  with  him  on  the  subject  of  the  humanity 
and  the  relish  for  liberty  in  his  beloved  model;  and 
when  I  cited  the  instance  of  the  employment  of  the 
tomahawk,  in  the  wars  between  England  and  this  coun 
try,  he  actually  affirmed  that  the  Indian  savages  killed 
no  women  and  children,  but  the  wives  and  offspring 
of  their  enemies ;  and  when  I  told  him  that  the  Eng 
lish,  like  most  other  people,  cared  very  little  for  any 
liberty  but  their  own,  he  coolly  affirmed  that  their  own 
was  the  only  liberty  worth  caring  for !" 

"  Oh  yes,"  put  in  young  Mr.  Wenham,  who  had 
overheard  the  latter  portion  of  the  conversation,  "  Mr. 
Howel  is  so  thoroughly  English,  that  he  actually  denies 
that  America  is  the  most  civilized  country  in  the  world, 
or  that  we  speak  our  language  better  than  any  nation 
was  ever  before  known  to  speak  its  own  language." 

"  This  is  so  manifest  an  act  of  treason,"  said  Mrs. 
Bloomfield,  endeavouring  to  look  grave,  for  Mr.  Wen- 
ham  was  any  thing  but  accurate  in  the  use  of  words 
himself,  commonly  pronouncing  "  been,"  "  ben," 
"does,"  "dooze,"  "nothing,"  "nawthing,"  "few," 
"foo,"  &c.  &c.  &c.,  "that,  certainly,  Mr.  Howel 
should  be  arraigned  at  the  bar  of  public  opinion  for 
the  outrage." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  409 

"It  is  commonly  admitted,  even  by  our  enemies, 
that  our  mode  of  speaking  is  the  very  best  in  the  world, 
which,  I  suppose,  is  the  real  reason  why  our  literature 
has  so  rapidly  reached  the  top  of  the  ladder." 

"  And  is  that  the  fact  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  with 
a  curiosity  that  was  not  in  the  least  feigned. 

"  I  believe  no  one  denies  that.  You  will  sustain  me 
in  this,  I  fancy,  Mr.  Dodge  ?" 

The  editor  of  the  Active  Inquirer  had  approached, 
and  was  just  in  time  to  catch  the  subject  in  discussion. 
Now  the  modes  of  speech  of  these  two  persons,  while 
they  had  a  great  deal  in  common,  had  also  a  great 
deal  that  was  not  in  common.  Mr.  Wenham  was  a 
native  of  New- York,  and  his  dialect  was  a  mixture 
that  is  getting  to  be  sufficiently  general,  partaking 
equally  of  the  Doric  of  New  England,  the  Dutch  cross, 
and  the  old  English  root ;  whereas,  Mr.  Dodge  spoke 
the  pure,  unalloyed  Tuscan  of  his  province,  rigidly  ad 
hering  to  all  its  sounds  and  significations.  "  Dissipa 
tion,"  he  contended,  meant  "drunkenness;"  "ugly,' 
"  vicious ;"  "  clever,"  "  good-natured ;"  and  "  humbly," 
(homely)  "  ugly."  In  addition  to  this  finesse  in  signifi 
cations,  he  had  a  variety  of  pronunciations  that  often 
put  strangers  at  fault,  and  to  which  he  adhered  with 
a  pertinacity  that  obtained  some  of  its  force  from  the 
fact,  that  it  exceeded  his  power  to  get  rid  of  them. 
Notwithstanding  all  these  little  peculiarities,  peculiari 
ties  as  respects  every  one  but  those  who  dwelt  in  his 
own  province,  Mr.  Dodge  had  also  taken  up  the  no 
tion  of  his  superiority  on  the  subject  of  language,  and 
always  treated  the  matter  as  one  that  was  placed  quite 
beyond  dispute,  by  its  publicity  and  truth. 

"  The  progress  of  American  Literature,"  returned 
the  editor,  "is  really  astonishing  the  four  quarters  of 
the  world.  I  believe  it  is  very  generally  admitted,  now, 
that  our  pulpit  and  bar  are  at  the  very  summit  of  these 
two  professions.  Then  we  have  much  the  best  poets 
of  the  age,  while  eleven  of  our  novelists  surpass  any 


410  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

of  all  other  countries.  The  American  Philosophica 
Society  is,  I  believe,  generally  considered  the  most 
acute  learned  body  now  extant,  unless,  indeed,  the 
New- York  Historical  Society  may  compete  with  it, 
for  that  honour.  Some  persons  give  the  palm  to  one, 
and  some  to  the  other ;  though  I  myself  think  it  would 
be  difficult  to  decide  between  them!  Then  to  what  a 
pass  has  the  drama  risen  of  late  years  !  Genius  is 
getting  to  be  quite  a  drug  in  America !" 

"  You  have  forgotten  to  speak  of  the  press,  in  par 
ticular,"  put  in  the  complacent  Mr.  Wenham.  "  I 
think  we  may  more  safely  pride  ourselves  on  the  high 
character  of  the  press,  than  any  thing  else." 

"  Why,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  sir,"  answered  Stead 
fast,  taking  the  other  by  the  arm,  and  leading  him  so 
slowly  away,  that  a  part  of  what  followed  was  heard 
by  the  two  amused  listeners,  "  modesty  is  so  infallibly 
the  companion  of  merit,  that  we  who  are  engaged  in 
that  high  pursuit  do  not  like  to  say  any  thing  in  our 
own  favour.  You  never  detect  a  newspaper  in  the 
weakness  of  extolling  itself;  but,  between  ourselves,  I 
may  say,  after  a  close  examination  of  the  condition  of 
the  press  in  other  countries,  I  have  come  to  the  con 
clusion,  that,  for  talents,  taste,  candour,  philosophy, 
fenius,  honesty,  and  truth,  the  press  of  the  United 
tates  stands  at  the  very " 

Here  Mr.  Dodge  passed  so  far  from  the  listeners, 
that  the  rest  of  the  speech  became  inaudible,  though 
from  the  well-established  modesty  of  the  man  and  the 
editor,  there  can  be  little  doubt  of  the  manner  in  which 
he  concluded  the  sentence. 

"  It  is  said  in  Europe,"  observed  John  Effingham, 
his  fine  face  expressing  the  cool  sarcasm  in  which  he 
was  so  apt  to  indulge,  "  that  there  are  la  vieille  and  la 
Jeune  France.  I  think  we  have  now  had  pretty  fair 
specimens  of  old  and  young  America ;  the  first  dis 
trusting  every  thing  native,  even  to  a  potatoe ;  and  the 
second  distrusting  nothing,  and  least  of  all,  itself." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  411 

"  There  appears  to  be  a  sort  of  pendulum-uneasiness 
in  mankind,"  said  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  "  that  keeps  opinion 
always  vibrating  around  the  centre  of  truth,  for  I  think 
it  the  rarest  thing  in  the  world  to  find  man  or  woman 
who  has  not  a  disposition,  as  soon  as  an  error  is  aban 
doned,  to  fly  off  into  its  opposite  extreme.  From  be 
lieving  we  had  nothing  worthy  of  a  thought,  there  is 
a  set  springing  up  who  appear  to  have  jumped  to  the 
conclusion  that  we  have  every  thing." 

"  Ay,  this  is  one  of  the  reasons  that  all  the  rest  of 
the  world  laugh  at  us." 

"  Laugh  at  us,  Mr.  Effingham !  Even  /  had  sup 
posed  the  American  name  had,  at  last,  got  to  be  in 
good  credit  in  other  parts  of  the  world." 

"  Then  even  you,  my  dear  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  are  no 
tably  mistaken.  Europe,  it  is  true,  is  beginning  to 
give  us  credit  for  not  being  quite  as  bad  as  she  once 
thought  us ;  but  we  are  far,  very  far,  from  being  yet 
admitted  to  the  ordinary  level  of  nations,  as  respects 
goodness." 

"  Surely  they  give  us  credit  for  energy,  enterprize, 
activity " 

"  Qualities  that  they  prettily  term,  rapacity,  cunning, 
and  swindling!  I  am  far,  very  far,  however,  from 
giving  credit  to  all  that  it  suits  the  interests  and  preju 
dices  of  Europe,  especially  of  our  venerable  kinswo 
man,  Old  England,  to  circulate  and  think  to  the  pre 
judice  of  this  country,  which,  in  my  poor  judgment, 
has  as  much  substantial  merit  to  boast  of  as  any  na 
tion  on  earth  ;  though,  in  getting  rid  of  a  set  of  ancient 
vices  and  follies,  it  has  not  had  the  sagacity  to  disco- 
ver  that  it  is  fast  falling  into  pretty  tolerable — or  if 
you  like  it  better — intolerable  substitutes." 

"  What  then  do  you  deem  our  greatest  error — our 
weakest  point  ?" 

"  Provincialisms,  with  their  train  of  narrow  preju 
dices,  and  a  disposition  to  set  up  mediocrity  as  perfec 
tion,  under  the  double  influence  of  an  ignorance  that 


412  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

unavoidably  arises  from  a  want  of  models,  and  of  the 
irresistible  tendency  to  mediocrity,  in  a  nation  where 
the  common  mind  so  imperiously  rules." 

"  But  does  not  the  common  mind  rule  every  where  1 
Is  not  public  opinion  always  stronger  than  law?" 

"  In  a  certain  sense,  both  these  positions  may  be 
true.  But  in  a  nation  like  this,  without  a  capital,  one 
that  is  all  provinces,  in  which  intelligence  and  tastes 
are  scattered,  this  common  mind  wants  the  usual 
direction,  and  derives  its  impulses  from  the  force  of 
numbers,  rather  than  from  the  force  of  knowledge. 
Hence  the  fact,  that  the  public  opinion  never  or  seldom 
rises  to  absolute  truth.  I  grant  you  that  as  a  medioc 
rity,  it  is  well ;  much  better  than  common  even ;  but 
it  is  still  a  mediocrity." 

"  I  see  the  justice  of  your  remark,  and  I  suppose  we 
are  to  ascribe  the  general  use  of  superlatives,  which  is 
so  very  obvious,  to  these  causes." 

"  Unquestionably ;  men  have  gotten  to  be  afraid  to 
speak  the  truth,  when  that  truth  is  a  little  beyond  the 
common  comprehension ;  and  thus  it  is  that  you  see 
the  fulsome  flattery  that  all  the  public  servants,  as  they 
call  themselves,  resort  to,  in  order  to  increase  their 
popularity,  instead  of  telling  the  wholesome  facts  that 
are  needed." 

"  And  what  is  to  be  the  result  ?" 

"  Heaven  knows.  While  America  is  so  much  in 
advance  of  other  nations,  in  a  freedom  from  prejudices 
of  the  old  school,  it  is  fast  substituting  a  set  of  preju 
dices  of  its  own,  that  are  not  without  serious  dangers. 
We  may  live  through  it,  and  the  ills  of  society  may 
correct  themselves,  though  there  is  one  fact  that  men 
aces  more  evil  than  any  thing  I  could  have  feared." 

"You  mean  the  political  struggle  between  money 
and  numbers,  that  has  so  seriously  manifested  itself  of 
late  !"  exclaimed  the  quick-minded  and  intelligent  Mrs. 
Bloomfield. 

"  That  has  its  dangers ;  but  there  is  still  another  evil 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  413 

of  greater  magnitude.  I  allude  to  the  very  general 
disposition  to  confine  political  discussions  to  political 
men.  Thus,  the  private  citizen,  who  should  presume 
to  discuss  a  political  question,  would  be  deemed  fair 
game  for  all  who  thought  differently  from  himself.  He 
would  be  injured  in  his  pocket,  reputation,  domestic 
happiness,  if  possible ;  for,  in  this  respect,  America  is 
much  the  most  intolerant  nation  I  have  ever  visited. 
In  all  other  countries,  in  which  discussion  is  permitted 
at  all,  there  is  at  least  the  appearance  of  fair  play, 
whatever  may  be  done  covertly;  but  here,  it  seems  to 
be  sufficient  to  justify  falsehood,  frauds,  nay,  barefaced 
rascality,  to  establish  that  the  injured  party  has  had 
the  audacity  to  meddle  with  public  questions,  not  being 
what  the  public  chooses  to  call  a  public  man.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  say  that,  when  such  an  opinion 
gets  to  be  effective,  it  must  entirely  defeat  the  real 
intentions  of  a  popular  government." 

"  Now  you  mention  it,"  said  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  "  I 
think  I  have  witnessed  instances  of  what  you  mean." 

"  Witnessed,  dear  Mrs.  Bloomfield !  Instances  are 
to  be  seen  as  often  as  a  man  is  found  freeman  enough 
to  have  an  opinion  independent  of  party.  It  is  not  for 
connecting  himself  with  party  that  a  man  is  denounced 
in  this  country,  but  for  daring  to  connect  himself  with 
truth.  Party  will  bear  with  party,  but  party  will  not 
bear  with  truth.  It  is  in  politics  as  in  war,  regiments 
or  individuals  may  desert,  and  they  will  be  received 
by  their  late  enemies  with  open  arms,  the  honour  of  a 
soldier  seldom  reaching  to  the  pass  of  refusing  succour 
of  any  sort ;  but  both  sides  will  turn  and  fire  on  the 
countrymen  who  wish  merely  to  defend  their  homes 
and  firesides." 

"  You  draw  disagreeable  pictures  of  human  nature, 
Mr.  Effingham." 

"Merely  because  they  are  true,  Mrs.  Bloomfield. 
Man  is  worse  than  the  beasts,  merely  because  he  has 
a  code  of  right  and  wrong,  which  he  never  respects. 
35* 


414  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

They  talk  of  the  variation  of  the  compass,  and  even 
pretend  to  calculate  its  changes,  though  no  one  can 
explain  the  principle  that  causes  the  attraction  or  its 
vagaries  at  all.  So  it  is  with  men;  they  pretend  to 
look  always  at  the  right,  though  their  eyes  are  con 
stantly  directed  obliquely;  and  it  is  a  certain  calcula 
tion  to  allow  of  a  pretty  wide  variation  —  but  here 
comes  Miss  Effingham,  singularly  well  attired,  and 
more  beautiful  than  I  have  ever  before  seen  her !" 

The  two  exchanged  quick  glances,  and  then,  as  if 
fearful  of  betraying  to  each  other  their  thoughts,  they 
moved  towards  our  heroine,  to  do  the  honours  of  the 
reception. 


CHAPTER  XXYI. 


"  Haply,  when  I  shall  wed, 

That  lord,  whose  hand  must  take  my  plight,  shall  carry 
Half  my  love  with  him,  half  my  care  and  duty." 

CORDELIA. 


As  no  man  could  be  more  gracefully  or  delicately 
polite  than  John  Effingham,  when  the  humour  seized 
him,  Mrs.  Bloomfield  was  struck  with  the  kind  and 
gentlemanlike  manner  with  which  he  met  his  young 
kinswoman  on  this  trying  occasion,  and  the  affection 
ate  tones  of  his  voice,  and  the  winning  expression  of 
his  eye,  as  he  addressed  her.  Eve  herself  was  not 
unobservant  of  these  peculiarities,  nor  was  she  slow  in 
comprehending  the  reason.  She  perceived  at  once 
that  he  was  acquainted  with  the  state  of  things  between 
her  and  Paul.  As  she  well  knew  the  womanly  fidelity 
of  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  she  rightly  enough  conjectured 
that  the  ong  observation  of  her  cousin,  coupled  with 
the  few  words  accidentally  overheard  that  evening, 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  415 

had.  even  made  him  better  acquainted  with  the  true 
condition  of  her  feelings,  than  was  the  case  with  the 
friend  with  whom  she  had  so  lately  been  conversing 
on  the  subject. 

Still  Eve  was  not  embarrassed  by  the  conviction 
that  her  secret  was  betrayed  to  so  many  persons.  Her 
attachment  to  Paul  was  not  the  impulse  of  girlish  ca 
price,  but  the  warm  affection  of  a  woman,  that  had 
grown  with  time,  was  sanctioned  by  her  reason,  and 
which,  if  it  was  tinctured  with  the  more  glowing  ima 
gination  and  ample  faith  of  youth,  was  also  sustained 
by  her  principles  and  her  sense  of  right.  She  knew 
that  both  her  father  and  cousin  esteemed  the  man  of 
her  own  choice,  nor  did  she  believe  the  little  cloud  that 
hung  over  his  birth  could  do  more  than  have  a  tempo 
rary  influence  on  his  own  sensitive  feelings.  She  met 
John  Effingham,  therefore,  with  a  frank  composure, 
returned  the  kind  pressure  of  his  hand,  with  a  smile 
such  as  a  daughter  might  bestow  on  an  affectionate 
parent,  and  turned  to  salute  the  remainder  of  the  party, 
with  that  lady-like  ease  which  had  got  to  be  a  part  of 
her  nature. 

"  There  goes  one  of  the  most  attractive  pictures  that 
humanity  can  offer,"  said  John  Effingham  to  Mrs. 
Bloomfield,  as  Eve  walked  away;  "a  young,  timid, 
modest,  sensitive  girl,  so  strong  in  her  principles,  so 
conscious  of  rectitude,  so  pure  of  thought,  and  so  warm 
in  her  affections,  that  she  views  her  selection  of  a  hus 
band,  as  others  view  their  acts  of  duty  and  religious 
faith.  With  her  love  has  no  shame,  as  it  has  no  weak 
ness." 

"Eve  Effingham  is  as  faultless  as  comports  with 
womanhood ;  and  yet  I  confess  ignorance  of  my  own 
sex,  if  she  receive  Mr.  Powis  as  calmly  as  she  received 
her  cousin." 

"  Perhaps  not,  for  in  that  case,  she  could  scarcely 
feel  the  passion.  You  perceive  that  he  avoids  oppres 
sing  her  with  his  notice,  and  that  the  meeting  passes 


416  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

off  without  embarrassment.  I  do  believe  there  is  an 
elevating  principle  in  love,  that,  by  causing  us  to  wish 
to  be  worthy  of  the  object  most  prized,  produces  the 
desired  effects  by  stimulating  exertion.  There,  now, 
are  two  as  perfect  beings  as  one  ordinarily  meets  with, 
each  oppressed  by  a  sense  of  his  or  her  unworthiness 
to  be  the  choice  of  the  other." 

"  Does  love,  then,  teach  humility ;  successful  love, 
too  ?" 

"  Does  it  not  ?  It  would  be  hardly  fair  to  press  this 
matter  on  you,  a  married  woman ;  for,  by  the  pandects 
of  American  society,  a  man  may  philosophize  on  love, 
prattle  about  it,  trifle  on  the  subject,  and  even  analyze 
the  passion  with  a  miss  in  her  teens,  and  yet  he  shall 
not  allude  to  it,  in  a  discourse  with  a  matron.  Well, 
chacun  ci  son  gout ;  we  are,  indeed,  a  little  peculiar  in 
our  usages,  and  have  promoted  a  good  deal  of  village 
coquetry,  and  the  flirtations  of  the  may-pole,  to  the 
drawing-room." 

"  Is  it  not  better  that  such  follies  should  be  confined 
to  youth,  than  that  they  should  invade  the  sanctity  of 
married  life,  as  I  understand  is  too  much  the  case  else 
where  ?" 

"  Perhaps  so ;  though  I  confess  it  is  easier  to  dispose 
of  a  straight-forward  proposition  from  a  mother,  a 
father,  or  a  commissioned  friend,  than  to  get  rid  of  a 
young  lady,  who,  proprid  persona,  angles  on  her  own 
account.  While  abroad,  I  had  a  dozen  proposals " 

"  Proposals !"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  holding 
up  both  hands,  and  shaking  her  head  incredulously. 

"  Proposals !  Why  not,  ma'am  ? — am  I  more  than 
fifty  1  am  I  not  reasonably  youthful  for  that  period  of 
life,  and  have  I  not  six  or  eight  thousand  a  year " 

"  Eighteen,  or  you  are  much  scandalized." 

"  Well,  eighteen,  if  you  will,"  coolly  returned  the 
other,  in  whose  eyes  money  was  no  merit,  for  he  was 
born  to  a  fortune,  and  always  treated  it  as  a  means, 
and  nol  as  the  end  of  life ;  "  every  dollar  is  a  mag- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  417 

net,  after  one  has  turned  forty.  Do  you  suppose  that 
a  single  man,  of  tolerable  person,  well-born,  and  with 
a  hundred  thousand  francs  of  rentes,  could  entirely 
escape  proposals  from  the  ladies  in  Europe  ?" 

"  This  is  so  revolting  to  all  our  American  notions, 
that,  though  I  have  often  heard  of  such  things,  I  have 
always  found  it  difficult  to  believe  them  !" 

"  And  is  it  more  revolting  for  the  friends  of  young 
ladies  to  look  out  for  them,  on  such  occasions,  than 
that  the  young  ladies  should  take  the  affair  into  their 
own  hands,  as  is  practised  quite  as  openly,  here  ?" 

"  It  is  well  you  are  a  confirmed  bachelor,  or  decla 
rations  like  these  would  mar  your  fortunes.  I  will 
admit  that  the  school  is  not  as  retiring  and  diffident  as 
formerly;  for  we  are  all  ready  enough  to  say  that  no 
times  are  equal  to  our  own  times  ;  but  I  shall  strenu 
ously  protest  against  your  interpretation  of  the  nature 
and  artlessness  of  an  American  girl." 

"Artlessness!"  repeated  John  Effingham,  with  a 
slight  lifting  of  the  eye-brows ;  "  we  live  in  an  age 
when  new  dictionaries  and  vocabularies  are  necessary 
to  understand  each  other's  meaning.  It  is  artlessness, 
with  a  vengeance,  to  beset  an  old  fellow  of  fifty,  as 
one  would  besiege  a  town.  Hist! — Ned  is  retiring 
with  his  daughter,  my  dear  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  and  it  will 
not  be  long  before  I  shall  be  summoned  to  a  family 
council.  Well,  we  will  keep  the  secret  until  it  is  pub 
licly  proclaimed." 

John  Effingham  was  right,  for  his  two  cousins  left 
the  room  together,  and  retired  to  the  library,  but  in 
a  way  to  attract  no  particular  attention,  except  in 
those  who  were  enlightened  on  the  subject  of  what 
had  already  passed  that  evening.  When  they  were 
alone,  Mr.  Effingham  turned  the  key,  and  then  he  gave 
a  free  vent  to  his  paternal  feelings. 

Between  Eve  and  her  parent,  there  had  always  ex 
isted  a  confidence  exceeding  that  which  it  is  common 
to  find  between  father  and  daughter.  In  one  sense, 


418  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

they  had  been  all  in  all  to  each  other,  and  Eve  had 
never  hesitated  about  pouring  those  feelings  into  his 
breast,  which,  had  she  possessed  another  parent,  would 
more  naturally  have  been  confided  to  the  affection  of 
a  mother.  When  their  eyes  first  met,  therefore, 
they  were  mutually  beaming  with  an  expression  of 
confidence  and  love,  such  as  might,  in  a  measure,  have 
been  expected  between  two  of  the  gentler  sex.  Mr. 
Effingham  folded  his  child  to  his  heart,  pressed  her 
there  tenderly  for  near  a  minute  in  silence,  and  then 
kissing  her  burning  cheek  he  permitted  her  to  look  up. 

"  This  answers  all  my  fondest  hopes,  Eve" — he  ex 
claimed;  "fulfils  my  most  cherished  wishes  for  thy 
sake." 

"  Dearest  sir !" 

"  Yes,  my  love,  I  have  long  secretly  prayed  that 
such  might  be  your  good  fortune ;  for,  of  all  the  youths 
we  have  met,  at  home  or  abroad,  Paul  Powis  is  the 
one  to  whom  I  can  consign  you  with  the  most  con 
fidence  that  he  will  cherish  and  love  you  as  you  de 
serve  to  be  cherished  and  loved !" 

"  Dearest  father,  nothing  but  this  was  wanting  to 
complete  my  perfect  happiness." 

Mr.  Effingham  kissed  his  daughter  again,  and  he 
was  then  enabled  to  pursue  the  conversation  with 
greater  composure. 

"  Powis  and  I  have  had  a  full  explanation,"  he  said, 
"  though  in  order  to  obtain  it,  I  have  been  obliged  to 
give  him  strong  encouragement " 

«  Father !" 

"Nay,  my  love,  your  delicacy  and  feelings  nave 
been  sufficiently  respected,  but  he  has  so  much  diffi 
dence  of  himself,  and  permits  the  unpleasant  circum 
stances  connected  with  his  birth  to  weigh  so  much  on 
his  mind,  that  I  have  been  compelled  to  tell  him,  what 
I  am  sure  you  will  approve,  that  we  disregard  family 
connections,  and  look  only  to  the  merit  of  the  indi 
vidual." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  419 

"  I  hope,  father,  nothing  was  said  to  give  Mr.  Powis 
reason  to  suppose  we  did  not  deem  him  every  way  our 
equal." 

"  Certainly  not.  He  is  a  gentleman,  and  I  can  claim 
to  be  no  more.  There  is  but  one  thing  in  which  con 
nections  ought  to  influence  an  American  marriage, 
where  the  parties  are  suited  to  each  other  in  the  main 
requisites,  and  that  is  to  ascertain  that  neither  should  be 
carried,  necessarily,  into  associations  for  which  their 
habits  have  given  them  too  much  and  too  good  tastes 
to  enter  into.  A  woman,  especially,  ought  never  to  be 
transplanted  from  a  polished  to  an  unpolished  circle ; 
for,  when  this  is  the  case,  if  really  a  lady,  there  will 
be  a  dangerous  clog  on  her  affection  for  her  husband. 
This  one  great  point  assured,  I  see  no  other  about 
which  a  parent  need  feel  concern." 

"  Powis,  unhappily,  has  no  connections  in  this  coun 
try  ;  or  none  with  whom  he  has  any  communications ; 
and  those  he  has  in  England  are  of  a  class  to  do  him 
credit." 

"  We  have  been  conversing  of  this,  and  he  has  mani 
fested  so  much  proper  feeling  that  it  has  even  raised 
him  in  my  esteem.  I  knew  his  father's  family,  and 
must  have  known  his  father,  I  think,  though  there  were 
two  or  three  Asshetons  of  the  name  of  John.  It  is  a 
highly  respectable  family  of  the  middle  states,  and  be 
longed  formerly  to  the  colonial  aristocracy.  Jack  Ef- 
fingham's  mother  was  an  Assheton." 

"Of  the  same  blood,  do  you  think,  sir?  I  remem 
bered  this  when  Mr.  Powis  mentioned  his  father's  name, 
and  intended  to  question  cousin  Jack  on  the  subject." 

"  Now  you  speak  of  it,  Eve,  there  must  be  a  rela 
tionship  between  them.  Do  you  suppose  that  our  kins 
man  is  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  Paul  is,  in  truth, 
an  Assheton?" 

Eve  told  her  father  that  she  had  never  spoken  with 
their  relative  on  the  subject,  at  all. 

"  Then  ring  the  bell  and  we  will  ascertain  at  once 


420  HOME   AS    FOUND. 

how  far  my  conjecture  is  true.  You  can  have  no 
false  delicacy,  my  child,  about  letting  your  engage 
ment  be  known  to  one  as  near  and  as  dear  to  us,  as 
John." 

"  Engagement,  father !" 

"Yes,  engagement,"  returned  the  smiling  parent, 
"  for  such  I  already  deem  it.  I  have  ventured,  in  your 
behalf,  to  plight  your  troth  to  Paul  Powis,  or  what  is 
almost  equal  to  it ;  and  in  return  I  can  give  you  back 
as  many  protestations  of  unequalled  fidelity,  and  eter 
nal  constancy,  as  any  reasonable  girl  can  ask." 

Eve  gazed  at  her  father  in  a  way  to  show  that  re 
proach  was  mingled  with  fondness,  for  she  felt  that,  in 
this  instance,  too  much  of  the  precipitation  of  the  other 
sex  had  been  manifested  in  her  affairs ;  still,  superior 
to  coquetry  and  affectation,  and  much  too  warm  in 
her  attachments  to  be  seriously  hurt,  she  kissed  the 
hand  she  held,  shook  her  head  reproachfully,  even 
while  she  smiled,  and  did  as  had  been  desired. 

"  You  have,  indeed,  rendered  it  important  to  us  to 
know  more  of  Mr.  Powis,  my  beloved  father,"  she 
said,  as  she  returned  to  her  seat,  "  though  I  could  wish 
matters  had  not  proceeded  quite  so  fast." 

"  Nay,  all  I  promised  was  conditional,  and  depend 
ent  on  yourself.  You  have  nothing  to  do,  if  I  have 
said  too  much,  but  to  refuse  to  ratify  the  treaty  made 
by  your  negotiator." 

"  You  propose  an  impossibility,"  said  Eve,  taking 
the  hand,  again,  that  she  had  so  lately  relinquished, 
and  pressing  it  warmly  between  her  own ;  "  the  nego 
tiator  is  too  much  revered,  has  too  strong  a  right  to 
command,  and  is  too  much  confided  in  to  be  thus  dis 
honoured.  Father,  I  will,  I  do,  ratify  all  you  have,  all 
you  can  promise  in  my  behalf." 

"Even,  if  I  annul  the  treaty,  darling?" 

"  Even,  in  that  case,  father.  I  will  marry  none  with 
out  your  consent,  and  have  so  absolute  a  confidence  in 
your  tender  care  of  me,  that  I  do  not  even  hesitate  to 
say,  I  will  marry  him  to  whom  you  contract  me." 


HUME    AS    FOUND.  421 

•*  Bless  you,  bless  you,  Eve ;  I  do  believe  you,  for 
such  have  I  ever  found  you,  since  thought  has  had  any 
control  over  your  actions.  Desire  Mr.  John  Effing- 
ham  to  come  hither" — then,  as*  the  servant  closed 
the  door,  he  continued, — "  and  such  I  believe  you  will 
continue  to  be  until  your  dying  day." 

"  Nay,  reckless,  careless  father,  you  forget  that  you 
yourself  have  been  instrumental  in  transferring  my 
duty  and  obedience  to  another.  What  if  this  sea-mon 
ster  should  prove  a  tyrant,  throw  off  the  mask,  and 
show  himself  in  his  real  colours  ?  Are  you  prepared, 
then,  thoughtless,  precipitate,  parent" — Eve  kissed  Mr. 
Effingham's  cheek  with  childish  playfulness,  as  she 
spoke,  her  heart  swelling  with  happiness  the  whole 
time,  "to  preach  obedience  where  obedience  would 
then  be  due  ?" 

"  Hush,  precious — I  hear  the  step  of  Jack ;  he  must 
not  catch  us  fooling  in  this  manner." 

Eve  rose  ;  and  when  her  kinsman  entered  the  room, 
she  held  out  her  hand  kindly  to  him,  though  it  was 
with  an  averted  face  and  a  tearful  eye. 

"  It  is  time  I  was  summoned,"  said  John  Effingham, 
after  he  had  drawn  the  blushing  girl  to  him  and  kissed 
her  forehead,  "  for  what  between  tete  &  tetes  with 
young  fellows,  and  tete  a  tetes  with  old  fellows,  this 
evening,  I  began  to  think  myself  neglected.  I  hope  I 
am  still  in  time  to  render  my  decided  disapprobation 
available  ?' 

"  Cousin  Jack !"  exclaimed  Eve,  with  a  look  of  re 
proachful  mockery,  "you  are  the  last  person  who 
ought  to  speak  of  disapprobation,  for  you  have  done 
little  else  but  sing  the  praises  of  the  applicant,  since 
you  first  met  him." 

"  Is  it  even  so  ?  then,  like  others,  I  must  submit  to 
the  consequences  of  my  own  precipitation  and  false 
conclusions.  Am  I  summoned  to  inquire  how  many 
thousands  a  year  I  shall  add  to  the  establishment  of  the 
new  couple  ?  As  I  hate  business,  say  five  at  once : 
36 


422  HOME  AS    FOUND. 

and  when  the  papers  are  ready,  I  will  sign  them,  with 
out  reading." 

"  Most  generous  cynic,"  cried  Eve,  "  I  would  I 
dared,  now,  to  ask,a  single  question !" 

"  Ask  it  without  scruple,  young  lady,  for  this  is  the 
day  of  your  independence  and  power.  I  am  mistaken 
in  the  man,  if  Powis  do  not  prove  to  be  the  captain 
of  his  own  ship,  in  the  end." 

"  Well,  then,  in  whose  behalf  is  this  liberality  really 
meant ;  mine,  or  that  of  the  gentleman  ?" 

"  Fairly  enough  put,"  said  John  Effingham,  laugh 
ing,  again  drawing  Eve  towards  him  and  saluting  her 
cheek  ;  "  for  if  I  were  on  the  rack,  I  could  scarcely  say 
which  I  love  best,  although  you  have  the  consolation 
of  knowing,  pert  one,  that  you  get  the  most  kisses." 

"  I  am  almost  in  the  same  state  of  feeling  myself, 
John,  for  a  son  of  my  own  could  scarcely  be  dearer 
to  me  than  Paul." 

"  I  see,  indeed,  that  I  must  marry,"  said  Eve  hastily, 
dashing  the  tears  of  delight  from  her  eyes,  for  what 
could  give  more  delight  than  to  hear  the  praises  of  her 
beloved,  "  if  I  wish  to  retain  my  place  in  your  affec 
tions.  But,  father,  we  forget  the  question  you  were  to 
put  to  cousin  Jack." 

"  True,  love.   John,  your  mother  was  an  Assheton  ?" 

"  Assuredly,  Ned  ;  you  are  not  to  learn  my  pedigree 
at  this  time  of  day,  I  trust." 

"  We  are  anxious  to  make  out  a  relationship  between 
you  and  Paul ;  can  it  not  be  done  ]" 

"  I  would  give  half  my  fortune,  Eve  consenting, 
were  it  so! — What  reason  is  there  for  supposing  it 
probable,  or  even  possible  ?" 

"You  know  that  he  bears  the  name  of  his  friend, 
and  adopted  parent,  while  that  of  his  family  is  really 
Assheton." 

"  Assheton !"  exclaimed  the  other,  in  a  way  to  show 
that  this  was  the  first  he  had  ever  heard  of  the  fact. 

"  Certainly ;  and  as  there  is  but  one  family  of  thia 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  423 

name,  which  is  a  little  peculiar  in  the  spelling — for 
here  it  is  spelt  by  Paul  himself,  on  this  card — we  have 
thought  that  he  must  be  a  relation  of  yours.  I  hope 
we  are  not  to  be  disappointed." 

"  Assheton ! — It  is,  as  you  say,  an  unusual  name ; 
nor  is  there  more  than  one  family  that  bears  it  in  this 
country,  to  my  knowledge.  Can  it  be  possible  that 
Powis  is  truly  an  Assheton  ?" 

"  Out  of  all  doubt,"  Eve  eagerly  exclaimed ;  "  we 
have  it  from  his  own  mouth.  His  father  was  an 
Assheton,  and  his  mother  was " 

"  Who  ?"  demanded  John  Effingham,  with  a  vehe 
mence  that  startled  his  companions. 

"  Nay,  that  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you,  for  he  did 
not  mention  the  family  name  of  his  mother ;  as  she 
was  a  sister  of  Lady  Dunluce,  however,  who  is  the 
wife  of  General  Ducie,  the  father  of  our  guest,  it  is 
probable  her  name  \vas  Dunluce." 

"  I  remember  no  relative  that  has  made  such  a  mar 
riage,  or  who  can  have  made  such  a  marriage ;  and 
yet  do  I  personally  and  intimately  know  every  Asshe 
ton  in  the  country." 

Mr.  Effingham  and  his  daughter  looked  at  each 
other,  for  it  at  once  struck  them  all  painfullv,  that  there 
must  be  Asshetons  of  another  family. 

"  Were  it  not  for  the  peculiar  manner  in  which  this 
name  is  spelled,"  said  Mr.  Effingham,  "  I  could  suppose 
that  there  are  Asshetons  of  whom  we  know  nothing, 
but  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  there  can  be  such  per 
sons  of  a  respectable  family  of  whom  we  never  heard, 
for  Powis  said  his  relatives  were  of  the  Middle 
States- " 

"And  that  his  mother  was  called  Dunluce?"  de 
manded  John  Effingham  earnestly,  for  he  too  appeared 
to  wish  to  discover  an  affinity  between  himself  and 
Paul, 

"  Nay,  father,  this  I  think  he  did  not  say ;  though  it 
is  quite  probable ;  for  the  title  of  his  aunt  is  an  ancient 


424  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

barony,  and  those  ancient  baronies  usually  became  the 
family  name." 

"  In  this  you  must  be  mistaken,  Eve,  since  he  men 
tioned  that  the  right  was  derived  through  his  mother's 
mother,  who  was  an  Englishwoman." 

"  Why  not  send  for  him  at  once,  and  put  the  ques 
tion?"  said  the  simple-minded  Mr.  Effingham ;  "next 
to  having  him  for  my  own  son,  it  would  give  me  plea 
sure,  John,  to  learn  that  he  was  lawfully  entitled  to  that 
which  I  know  you  have  done  in  his  behalf." 

"  That  is  impossible,"  returned  John  Effingham.  "  1 
am  an  only  child,  and  as  for  cousins  through  my  mo 
ther,  there  are  so  many  who  stand  in  an  equal  degree 
of  affinity  to  me,  that  no  one  in  particular  can  be  my 
heir-at-law.  If  there  were,  I  am  an  Effingham  ;  my 
estate  came  from  Effinghams,  and  to  an  Effingham  it 
should  descend  in  despite  of  all  the  Asshetons  in  Ame 
rica." 

"  Paul  Powis  included !"  exclaimed  Eve,  raising  a 
finger  reproachfully. 

"  True,  to  him  I  have  left  a  legacy ;  but  it  was  to  a 
Powis,  and  not  to  an  Assheton." 

"  And  yet  he  declares  himself  legally  an  Assheton, 
and  not  a  Powis." 

"  Say  no  more  of  this,  Eve ;  it  is  unpleasant  to  me. 
I  hate 'the  name  of  Assheton,  though  it  was  my  mo 
ther^,  and  could  wish  never  to  hear  it  again." 

Eve  and  her  father  were  mute,  for  their  kinsman, 
usually  so  proud  and  self-restrained,  spoke  with  sup 
pressed  emotion,  and  it  was  plain  that,  for  some  hidden 
cause,  he  felt  even  more  than  he  expressed.  The  idea 
that  there  should  be  any  thing  about  Paul  that  could 
render  him  an  object  of  dislike  to  one  as  dear  to  her 
as  her  cousin,  was  inexpressibly  painful  to  the  former, 
and  she  regretted  that  the  subject  had  ever  been  intro 
duced.  Not  so  with  her  father.  Simple,  direct,  and 
full  of  truth,  Mr.  Effingham  rightly  enough  believed 
that  mysteries  in  a  family  could  lead  to  no  good,  arid 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  425 

he  repeated  his  proposal  of  sending  for  Paul,  and  hav 
ing  the  matter  cleared  up  at  once. 

"  You  are  too  reasonable,  Jack,"  he  concluded,  "  to 
let  an  antipathy  against  a  name  that  was  your  mother's, 
interfere  with  your  sense  of  right.  I  know  that  some 
unpleasant  questions  arose  concerning  your  succession 
to  my  aunt's  fortune,  but  that  was  all  settled  in  your 
favour  twenty  years  ago,  and  I  had  thought  to  your 
entire  satisfaction." 

"  Unhappily,  family  quarrels  are  ever  the  most  bitter, 
and  usually  they  are  the  least  reconcileable,"  returned 
John  Effingham,  evasively. — "  I  would  that  this  young 
man's  name  were  any  thing  but  Assheton !  I  do  not 
wish  to  see  Eve  plighting  her  faith  at  the  altar,  to  any 
one  bearing  that  accursed  name !" 

"  I  shall  plight  my  faith,  if  ever  it  be  done,  dear  cou 
sin  John,  to  the  man,  and  not  to  his  name." 

"  No,  no — he  must  keep  the  appellation  of  Powis 
by  which  we  have  all  learned  to  love  him,  and  to 
which  he  has  done  so  much  credit." 

"  This  is  very  strange,  Jack,  for  a  man  who  is  usu 
ally  as  discreet  and  as  well  regulated  as  yourself.  I 
again  propose  that  we  send  for  Paul,  and  ascertain 
precisely  to  what  branch  of  this  so-much-disliked 
family  he  really  belongs." 

"No,  father,  if  you  love  me,  not  now!"  cried  Eve, 
arresting  Mr.  Effingham's  hand  as  it  touched  the  bell- 
cord;  "it  would  appear  distrustful,  and  even  cruel, 
were  we  to  enter  into  such  an  inquiry  so  soon.  Powia 
might  think  we  valued  his  family,  more  than  we  do 
himself." 

"Eve  is  right,  Ned;  but  I  will  not  sleep  without 
learning  all.  There  is  an  unfinished  examination  of 
the  papers  left  by  poor  Monday,  and  I  will  take  an 
occasion  to  summon  Paul  to  its  completion,  when  an 
opportunity  will  offer  to  renew  the  subject  of  his  own 
history ;  for  it  was  at  the  other  investigation  that  he 
first  spoke  frankly  to  me,  concerning  himself." 
36  * 


426  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

"  Do  so,  cousin  Jack,  and  let  it  be  at  once,"  said  Eve, 
earnestly.  "  I  can  trust  you  with  Powis  alone,  for  I 
know  how  much  you  respect  and  esteem  him  in  your 
heart.  See,  it  is  already  ten." 

"  But,  he  will  naturally  wish  to  spend  the  close  of 
an  evening  like  this  engaged  in  investigating  something 
very  different  from  Mr.  Monday's  tale,"  returned  her 
cousin ;  the  smile  with  which  he  spoke  chasing  away 
the  look  of  chilled  aversion  that  had  so  lately  dark 
ened  hi*  noble  features. 

"  No,  not  to-night,"  answered  the  blushing  Eve.  "  1 
have  confessed  weakness  enough  for  one  day.  To 
morrow,  if  you  will — if  he  will, — but  not  to-night.  I 
shall  retire  with  Mrs.  Hawker,  who  already  complains 
of  fatigue ;  and  you  will  send  for  Powis,  to  meet  you 
in  your  own  room,  without  unnecessary  delay." 

Eve  kissed  John  Effingham  coaxingly,  and  as  they 
walked  together  out  oT  the  library,  she  pointed  towards 
the  door  that  led  to  the  chambers.  Her  cousin  laugh 
ingly  complied,  and  when  in  his  own  room,  he  sent  a 
message  to  Paul  to  join  him, 

"  Now,  indeed,  may  I  call  you  a  kinsman,"  said 
John  Effingham,  rising  to  receive  the  young  man, 
towards  whom  he  advanced,  with  extended  hands,  in 
his  most  winning  manner.  "  Eve's  frankness  and  your 
own  discernment  have  made  us  a  happy  family !" 

"  If  any  thing  coald  add  to  the  felicity  of  being  ac 
ceptable  to  Miss  Effingham,"  returned  Paul,  struggling 
to  command  his  feelings,  "  it  is  the  manner  in  which 
her  father  and  yourself  have  received  my  poor  offers." 

"  Well,  we  will  now  speak  of  it  no  more.  I  saw 
from  the  first  which  way  things  were  tending,  and  it 
was  my  plain-dealing  that  opened  the  eyes  of  Temple- 
more  to  the  impossibility  of  his  ever  succeeding,  by 
which  means  his  heart  has  been  kept  from  breaking." 

"  Oh  !  Mr.  Effingham,  Templemore  never  loved  Eve 
Effingham!  I  thought  so  once,  and  he  thought  so, 
too ;  but  it  could  not  have  been  a  love  like  mine." 


HOME   AS   FOUND.  427 

"  It  certainly  differed  in  the  essential  circumstance 
of  reciprocity,  which,  in  itself,  singularly  qualifies  the 
passion,  so  far  as  duration  is  concerned.  Templemore 
did  not  exactly  know  the  reason  why  he  preferred 
Eve ;  but,  having  seen  so  much  of  the  society  in 
which  he  lived,  I  was  enabled  to  detect  the  cause. 
Accustomed  to  an  elaborate  sophistication,  the  singu 
lar  union  of  refinement  and  nature  caught  his  fancy  ,• 
for  the  English  seldom  see  the  last  separated  from  vul 
garity  ;  and  when  it  is  found,  softened  by  a  high  intel 
ligence  and  polished  manners,  it  has  usually  great 
attractions  for  the  biases." 

"  He  is  fortunate  in  having  so  readily  found  a  sub 
stitute  for  Eve  Effingham !" 

"  This  change  is  not  unnatural,  neither.  In  the  first 
place,  I,  with  this  truth-telling  tongue,  destroyed  all 
hope,  before  he  had  committed  himself  by  a  declara 
tion ;  and  then  Grace  Van  Co'rtlandt  possesses  the 
great  attraction  of  nature,  in  a  degree  quite  equal  to 
that  of  her  cousin.  Besides,  Templemore,  though  a 
gentleman,  and  a  brave  man,  and  a  worthy  one,  is  not 
remarkable  for  qualities  of  a  very  extraordinary  kind. 
He  will  be  as  happy  as  is  usual  for  an  Englishman  of 
his  class  to  be,  and  he  has  no  particular  right  to  expect 
more.  I  sent  for  you,  however,  less  to  talk  of  love, 
than  to  trace  its  unhappy  consequences  in  this  affair, 
revealed  by  the  papers  of  poor  Monday.  It  is  time 
we  acquitted  ourselves  of  that  trust.  Do  me  the 
favour  to  open  the  dressing-case  that  stands  on  the 
toilet-table ;  you  will  find  in  it  the  key  that  belongs  to 
the  bureau,  where  I  have  placed  the  secretary  that 
contains  the  papers." 

Paul  did  as  desired.  The  dressing-case  was  compli 
cated  and  large,  having  several  compartments,  none 
of  which  were  fastened.  In  the  first  opened,  he  saw  a 
miniature  of  a  female  so  beautiful,  that  his  eye  rested  on 
it,  as  it  might  be,  by  a  fascination.  Notwithstanding 
some  difference  produced  by  the  fashions  of  different 


428  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

periods,  the  resemblance  to  the  object  of  his  love,  was 
obvious  at  a  glance.  Borne  away  by  the  pleasure  of 
the  discovery,  and  actually  believing  that  he  saw  a  pic 
ture  of  Eve,  drawn  in  a  dress  that  did  not  in  a  great 
degree  vary  from  the  present  attire,  fashion  having 
undergone  no  very  striking  revolution  in  the  last  twenty 
years,  he  exclaimed — 

"This  is  indeed  a  treasure,  Mr.  Effingham,  and 
most  sincerely  do  I  envy  you  its  possession.  It  is  like, 
and  yet,  in  some  particulars,  it  is  unlike — it  scarcely 
does  Miss  Effingham  justice  about  the  nose  and  fore 
head  !" 

John  Effingham  started  when  he  saw  the  miniature 
in  Paul's  hand,  but  recovering  himself,  he  smiled  at  the 
eager  delusion  of  his  young  friend,  and  said  with  per 
fect  composure — 

"  It  is  not  Eve,  but  her  mother.  The  two  features 
ou  have  named  in  the  former  came  from  my  family ; 
t  in  all  the  others,  the  likeness  is  almost  identical." 
"  This  then  is  Mrs.  Effingham !"  murmured  Paul, 
gazing  on  the  face  of  the  mother  of  his  love,  with  a 
respectful  melancholy,  and  an  interest  that  was  rather 
heightened  than  lessened  by  a  knowledge  of  the  truth. 
"  She  died  young,  sir  ?" 

"  Quite ;  she  can  scarcely  be  said  to  have  become 
an  angel  too  soon,  for  she  was  always  one." 

This  was  said  with  a  feeling  that  did  not  escape 
Paul,  though  it  surprised  him.  There  were  six  or  seven 
miniature-cases  in  the  compartment  of  the  dressing- 
box,  and  supposing  that  the  one  which  lay  uppermost 
belonged  to  the  miniature  in  his  hand,  he  raised  it,  and 
opened  the  lid  with  a  view  to  replace  the  picture  of 
Eve's  mother,  with  a  species  of  pious  leveronce.  In 
stead  of  rinding  an  etnpty  case,  however,  another 
miniature  met  his  eye.  The  exclamation  that  now 
escaped  the  young  man  was  one  of  delight  and  sur 
prise. 

"  That  must  be  my  grandmother,  with  whom  you 


L° 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  429 

are  in  such  raptures,  at  present,"  said  John  Effingjiam, 
laughing — "  I  was  comparing  it  yesterday  with  the 
picture  of  Eve,  which  is  in  the  Russia-leather  case,  that 
you  will  find  somewhere  there.  I  do  not  wonder, 
however,  at  your  admiration,  for  she  wras  a  beauty  in 
her  day,  and  no  woman  is  fool  enough  to  be  painted 
after  she  grows  ugly." 

"  Not  so — not  so — Mr.  Effingham  !  This  is  the  min 
iature  I  lost  in  the  Montauk,  and  which  I  had  given  up 
as  booty  to  the  Arabs.  It  has,  doubtless,  found  its  way 
into  your  state-room,  and  has  been  put  among  your 
effects  by  your  man,  through  mistake.  It  is  very  pre 
cious  to  me,  for  it  is  nearly  every  memorial  I  possess 
of  my  own  mother  !" 

"  Your  mother  !"  exclaimed  John  Effingham  rising. 
"  I  think  there  must  be  some  mistake,  for  I  examined 
all  those  pictures  this  very  morning,  and  it  is  the  first 
time  they  have  been  opened  since  our  arrival  from 
Europe.  It  cannot  be  the  missing  picture." 

"  Mine  it  is  certainly ;  in  that  I  cannot  be  mis 
taken  !" 

"  It  would  be  odd  indeed,  if  one  of  my  grand 
mothers,  for  both  are  there,  should  prove  to  be  your 
mother. — Powis,  will  you  have  the  goodness  to  let  me 
see  the  picture  you  mean." 

Paul  brought  the  miniature  and  a  light,  placing  both 
before  the  eyes  of  his  friend. 

"  That !"  exclaimed  John  Effingham,  his  voice  sound 
ing  harsh  and  unnatural  to  the  listener, — "  that  picture 
like  your  mother !" 

"  It  is  her  miniature — the  miniature  that  was  trans 
mitted  to  me,  from  those  who  had  charge  of  my  child 
hood.  I  cannot  be  mistaken  as  to  the  countenance,  or 
the  dress." 

"  And  your  father's  name  was  Assheton  ?" 

"Certainly — John  Assheton,  of  the  Asshetons  of 
Pennsylvania." 

John  Effingham  groaned  aloud ;  when  Paul  stepped 


430  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

back  equally  shocked  and  surprised,  he  saw  that  the 
face  of  his  friend  was  almost  livid,  and  that  the  hand 
which  held  the  picture  shook  like  the  aspen. 

"  Are  you  unwell,  dear  Mr.  Effingham  ?" 

»  No — no — 'tis  impossible  !  This  lady  never  had  a 
child.  Powis,  you  have  been  deceived  by  some  fancied, 
or  some  real  resemblance.  This  picture  is  mine,  and 
has  not  been  out  of  my  possession  these  five  and  twenty 
years." 

"  Pardon  me,  sir,  it  is  the  picture  of  my  mother,  and 
no  other ;  the  very  picture  lost  in  the  Montauk." 

The  gaze  that  John  Effingham  cast  upon  the  young 
man  was  ghastly ;  and  Paul  was  about  to  ring  the  bell, 
but  a  gesture  of  denial  prevented  him. 

"  See,"  said  John  Effingham,  hoarsely,  as  he  touched 
a  spring  in  the  setting,  and  exposed  to  view  the  initials 
of  two  names  interwoven  with  hair — "  is  this,  too, 
yours  V9 

Paul  looked  surprised  and  disappointed. 

"  That  certainly  settles  the  question ;  my  miniature 
had  no  such  addition  ;  and  yet  I  believe  that  sweet  and 
pensive  countenance  to  be  the  face  of  my  own  beloved 
mother,  and  of  no  one  else." 

John  Effingham  struggled  to  appear  calm ;  and,  re 
placing  the  pictures,  he  took  the  key  from  the  dressing 
case,  and,  opening  the  bureau,  he  took  out  the  secretary. 
This  he  signed  for  Powis,  who  had  the  key,  to  open  ; 
throwing  himself  into  a  chair,  though  every  thing  was 
done  mechanically,  as  if  his  mind  and  body  had  little 
or  no  connection  with  each  other. 

"  Some  accidental  resemblance  has  deceived  you  as 
to  the  miniature,"  he  said,  while  Paul  was  looking  for 
the  proper  number  among  the  letters  of  Mr.  Monday. 
«  No — no — that  cannot  be  the  picture  of  your  mother. 
She  left  no  child.  Assheton  did  you  say,  was  the  name 
of  your  father  V9 

"Assheton — John  Assheton — about  that,  at   least, 
there  can  have  been  no  mistake.    This  is  the  num- 


HOME    AS    TOOND.  431 

her  at  which  we  left  off — will  you,  sir,  or  shall  I, 
read  ?" 

The  other  made  a  sign  for  Paul  to  read ;  looking,  at 
the  same  time,  as  if  it  were  impossible  for  him  to  dis 
charge  that  duty  himself. 

"  This  is  a  letter  from  the  woman  who  appears  to 
have  been  entrusted  with  the  child,  to  the  man  Dowse," 
said  Paul,  first  glancing  his  eyes  over  the  page, — "  it 
appears  to  be  little  else  but  gossip — ha ! — what  is  this, 
I  see?" 

John  Effingham  raised  himself  in  his  chair,  and  he 
sat  gazing  at  Paul,  as  one  gazes  who  expects  some 
extraordinary  developement,  though  of  what  nature  he 
knew  not. 

"  This  is  a  singular  passage,"  Paul  continued — "  so 
much  so  as  to  need  elucidation.  *  I  have  taken  the 
child  with  me  to  get  the  picture  from  the  jeweller,  who 
has  mended  the  ring,  and  the  little  urchin  knew  it  at  a 
glance.' " 

"  What  is  there  remarkable  in  that  ?  Others  beside 
ourselves  have  had  pictures ;  and  this  child  knows  its 
own  better  than  you." 

"  Mr.  Effingham,  such  a  thing  occurred  to  myself! 
It  is  one  of  those  early  events  of  which  I  still  retain, 
have  ever  retained,  a  vivid  recollection.  Though  little 
more  than  an  infant  at  the  time,  well  do  I  recollect  to 
have  been  taken  in  this  manner  to  a  jeweller's,  and 
the  delight  I  felt  at  recovering  my  mother's  picture, 
that  which  is  now  lost,  after  it  had  not  been  seen  for  a 
month  or  two." 

"Paul  Blunt— Powis— Assheton "— said  John  Ef 
fingham,  speaking  so  hoarsely  as  to  be  nearly  unintel 
ligible,  "remain  here  a  few  minutes — I  will  rejoin 
you." 

John  Effingham  arose,  and,  notwithstanding  he  ral 
lied  all  his  powers,  it  was -with  extreme  difficulty  he 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  door,  steadily  rejecting  the 
offered  assistance  of  Paul,  who  was  at  a  loss  what  to 
think  of  so  much  agitation  in  a  man  usually  so  self-pos- 


432  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

sessed  and  tranquil.  When  out  of  the  room,  John  Ef- 
fingham  did  better,  and  he  proceeded  to  the  library, 
followed  by  his  own  man,  whom  he  had  ordered  to  ac 
company  him  with  a  light. 

"  Desire  Captain  Ducie  to  give  me  the  favour  of  his 
company  for  a  moment,"  he  then  said,  motioning  to 
the  servant  to  withdraw.  "  You  will  not  be  needed 
any  longer." 

It  was  but  a  minute  before  Captain  Ducie  stood  be 
fore  him.  This  gentleman  was  instantly  struck  with 
the  pallid  look,  and  general  agitation  of  the  person  he 
had  come  to  meet,  and  he  expressed  an  apprehension 
that  he  was  suddenly  taken  ill.  But  a  motion  of  the 
hand  forbade  his  touching  the  bell-cord,  and  he  waited 
in  silent  wonder  at  the  scene  which  he  had  been  so  un 
expectedly  called  to  witness. 

"  A  glass  of  that  water,  if  you  please,  Captain  Du 
cie,"  said  John  Effingham,  endeavouring  to  smile  with 
gentlemanlike  courtesy,  as  he  made  the  request,  though 
the  effort  caused  his  countenance  to  appear  ghastly 
again.  A  little  recovered  by  this  beverage,  he  said 
more  steadily — 

"  You  are  the  cousin  of  Powis,  Captain  Ducie." 

"  We  are  sisters'  children,  sir." 

"  And  your  mother  is " 

"  Lady  Dunluce — a  peeress  in  her  own  right." 

"But,  what — her  family  name?" 

"  Her  own  family  name  has  been  sunk  in  that  of  my 
father,  the  Ducies  claiming  to  be  as  old  and  as  honour 
able  a  family,  as  that  from  which  my  mother  inherits 
her  rank.  Indeed  the  Dunluce  barony  has  gone  through 
so  many  names,  by  means  of  females,  that  I  believe 
there  is  no  intention  to  revive  the  original  appellation 
of  the  family  which  was  first  summoned." 

"  You  mistake  me — your  mother — when  she  mar 
ried — was " 

"  Miss  Warrender." 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,  and  will  trouble  you  no  longer," 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  433 

returned  John  Effingham.  rising  and  struggling  to  make 
his  manner  second  the  courtesy  of  his  words — "  I  have 
trouhled  you,  abruptly- — incoherently  I  fear  —  your 

arm " 

Captain  Ducie  stepped  hastily  forward,  and  was  just 
in  time  to  prevent  the  other  from  falling  senseless  on 
the  floor,  by  receiving  him  in  his  own  arms. 


CHAPTER  XXYII. 


What '«  Hecuba  to  him,  or  he  to  Hecuba, 
That  he  should  weep  for  her." 

HAMLET. 


THE  next  morning,  Paul  and  Eve  were  alone  in  that 
library  which  had  long  been  the  scene  of  the  confiden 
tial  communications  of  the  Effingham  family.  Eve 
had  been  weeping,  nor  were  Paul's  eyes  entirely  free 
from  the  signs  of  his  having  given  way  to  strong  sen 
sations.  Still  happiness  beamed  in  the  countenance  of 
each,  and  the  timid  but  affectionate  glances  with  which 
our  heroine  returned  the  fond,  admiring  look  of  her 
lover,  were  any  thing  but  distrustful  of  their  future  feli 
city.  Her  hand  was  in  his,  and  it  was  often  raised  to 
his  lips,  as  they  pursued  the  conversation. 

"  This  is  so  wonderful,"  exclaimed  Eve,  after  one  of 
the  frequent  musing  pauses  in  which  both  indulged, 
"  that  I  can  scarcely  believe  myself  awake.  That  you, 
Blunt,  Powis,  Assheton,  should,  after  all,  prove  an 
Effingham !" 

"  And  that  I,  who  have  so  long  thought  myself  an 
orphan,  should  find  a  living  father,  and  he  a  man  like 
Mr.  John  Effingham !" 

"  I  have  long  thought  that  something  heavy  lay  at  the 
honest  heart  of  cousin  Jack — you  will  excuse  me,  Powis. 
37 


434  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

but  I  shall  need  lime  to  learn  to  call  him  by  a  name 
of  greater  respect." 

"  Call  him  always  so,  love,  for  I  am  certain  it  would 
pain  him  to  meet  with  any  change  in  you.  He  is  your 
tousin  Jack." 

"Nay,  he  may  some  day  unexpectedly  become  my 
lather  too,  as  he  has  so  wonderfully  become  yours," 
rejoined  Eve,  glancing  archly  at  the  glowing  face  of 
the  delighted  young  man ;  "  and  then  cousin  Jack  might 
prove  too  familiar  and  disrespectful  a  term." 

"  So  much  stronger  does  your  claim  to  him  appear 
than  mine,  that  I  think,  when  that  blessed  day  shall 
arrive,  Eve,  it  will  convert  him  into  my  cousin  Jack, 
instead  of  your  father.  But  call  him  as  you  may,  why 
do  you  still  insist  on  calling  me  Powis  ?" 

"  That  name  will  ever  be  precious  in  my  eyes !  You 
abridge  me  of  my  rights,  in  denying  me  a  change  of 
name.  Half  the  young  ladies  of  the  country  marry 
for  the  novelty  of  being  called  Mrs.  Somebody  else, 
instead  of  the  Misses  they  were,  while  I  am  condemned 
to  remain  Eve  Effingham  for  life." 

"  If  you  object  to  the  appellation,  I  can  continue  to 
call  myself  Powis.  This  has  been  done  so  long  now 
as  almost  to  legalize  the  act." 

"Indeed,  no — you  are  an  Effingham,  and  as  an 
Effingham  ought  you  to  be  known.  What  a  happy 
lot  is  mine !  Spared  even  the  pain  of  parting  with  my 
old  friends,  at  the  great  occurrence  of  my  life,  and 
finding  my  married  home  the  same  as  the  home  of  my 
childhood !" 

"  I  owe  every  thing  to  you,  Eve,  name,  happiness, 
and  even  a  home." 

"  I  know  not  that.  Now  that  it  is  known  that  you 
are  the  great-grandson  of  Edward  Effingham,  I  think 
your  chance  of  possessing  the  Wigwam  would  be  quite 
equal  to  my  own,  even  were  we  to  look  different  ways 
in  quest  of  married  happiness.  An  arrangement  of 
that  nature  would  not  be  difficult  to  make,  as  John 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  435 

Effingham  might  easily  compensate  a  daughter  for  the 
loss  of  her  house  and  lands  by  means  of  those  money- 
yielding  stocks  and  bonds,  of  which  he  possesses  so 
many." 

"  I  view  it  differently.     You  were  Mr.  —  my  father's 
heir — how  strangely  the  word  father  sounds  in  unac 
customed  ears! — But  you  were  my  father's  chosenB 
heir,  and  I  shall  owe  to  you,  dearest,  in  addition  to  the 
treasures  of  your  heart  and  faith,  my  fortune." 

"  Are  you  so  very  certain  of  this,  ingrate  ? — Did  not 
Mr.  John  Effingham — cousin  Jack — adopt  you  as  his 
son  even  before  he  knew  of  the  natural  tie  that  ac 
tually  exists  between  you  ?" 

"  True,  for  I  perceive  that  you  have  been  made  ac 
quainted  with  most  of  that  which  has  passed.  But  I 
hope,  that  in  telling  you  his  own  offer,  Mr. — that  my 
father  did  not  forget  to  tell  you  of  the  terms  on  which 
it  was  accepted  ?" 

"  He  did  you  ample  justice,  for  he  informed  me  that 
you  stipulated  there  should  be  no  altering  of  wills,  but 
that  the  unworthy  heir  already  chosen,  should  still 
remain  the  heir." 

"  And  to  this  Mr—" 

"  Cousin  Jack,"  said  Eve,  laughing,  for  the  laugh 
comes  easy  to  the  supremely  happy. 

"  To  this  cousin  Jack  assented  1" 

"  Most  true,  again.  The  will  would  not  have  been 
altered,  for  your  interests  were  already  cared  for." 

"  And  at  the  expense  of  yours,  dearest  Eve  !" 

"It  would  have  been  at  the  expense  of  my  better 
feelings,  Paul,  had  it  not  been  so.  However,  that  will 
can  never  do  either  harm  or  good  to  any,  now." 

"  I  trust  it  will  remain  unchanged,  beloved,  that  I 
may  owe  as  much  to  you  as  possible." 

Eve  looked  kindly  at  her  betrothed,  blushed  even 
deeper  than  the  bloom  which  happiness  had  left  on  her 
cheek,  and  smiled  like  one  who  knew  more  than  she 
cared  to  express. 


436  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  What  secret  meaning  is   concealed  behind  tha 
look  of  portentous  signification  ?" 

"  It  means,  Powis,  that  I  have  done  a  deed  that  is 
almost  criminal.  I  have  destroyed  a  will." 

"  Not  my  father's  !" 

"  Even  so — but  it  was  done  in  his  presence,  and  if 
Miot  absolutely  with  his  consent,  with  his  knowledge. 
\Vhen  he  informed  me  of  your  superior  rights,  I  insisted 
on  its  being  done,  at  once,  so,  should  any  accident 
occur,  you  will  be  heir  at  law,  as  a  matter  of  course. 
Cousin  Jack  affected  reluctance,  but  I  believe  he  slept 
more  sweetly,  for  the  consciousness  that  this  act  of 
justice  had  been  done." 

"  I  fear  he  slept  little,  as  it  was ;  it  was  long  past 
midnight  before  I  left  him,  and  the  agitation  of  his 
spirits  was  such  as  to  appear  awful  in  the  eyes  of  a 
son  !" 

"  And  the  promised  explanation  is  to  come,  to  re 
new  his  distress '  Why  make  it  at  all  ?  is  it  not  enough 
that  we  are  certain  that  you  are  his  child?  and  for 
that,  have  we  not  the  solemn  assurance,  the  declara 
tion  of  almost  a  dying  man !" 

"  There  should  be  no  shade  left  over  my  mother's 
fame.  Faults  there  have  been,  somewhere,  but  it  is 
painful,  oh !  how  painful !  for  a  child  to  think  evil  of  a 
mother." 

"  On  this  head  you  are  already  assured.  Your  own 
previous  knowledge,  and  John  Effingham's  distinct 
declarations,  make  your  mother  blameless." 

"  Beyond  question ;  but  this  sacrifice  must  be  made 
to  my  mother's  spirit.  It  is  now  nine ;  the  breakfast- 
bell  will  soon  ring,  and  then  we  are  promised  the  whole 
of  the  melancholy  tale.  Pray  with  me,  Eve,  that  it 
may  be  such  as  will  not  wound  the  ear  of  a  son !" 

Eve  took  the  hand  of  Paul  within  both  of  hers,  and 
kissed  it  with  a  sort  of  holy  hope,  that  in  its  exhibi 
tion  caused  neither  blush  nor  shame.  Indeed  so  bound 
together  were  these  young  hearts,  so  ample  and  con- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  437 

fiding  had  been  the  confessions  of  both,  and  so  pure 
was  their  love,  that  neither  regarded  such  a  mani 
festation  of  feeling,  differently  from  what  an  acknow 
ledgement  of  a  dependence  on  any  other  sacred  prin 
ciple  would  have  been  esteemed.  The  bell  now  sum 
moned  them  to  the  breakfast-table,  and  Eve,  yielding 
to  her  sex's  timidity,  desired  Paul  to  precede  her  a  few 
minutes,  that  the  sanctity  of  their  confidence  might  not 
be  weakened  by  the  observation  of  profane  eyes. 

The  meal  was  silent ;  the  discovery  of  the  previous 
night,  which  had  been  made  known  to  all  in  the  house, 
by  the  declarations  of  John  Effingham  as  soon  as  he 
was  restored  to  his  senses,  Captain  Ducie  having  inno 
cently  collected  those  within  hearing  to  his  succour, 
causing  a  sort  of  moral  suspense  that  weighed  on  the 
vivacity  if  not  on  the  comforts  of  the  whole  party, 
the  lovers  alone  excepted. 

As  profound  happiness  is  seldom  talkative,  the  meal 
was  a  silent  one,  then ;  and  when  it  was  ended,  they 
who  had  no  tie  of  blood  with  the  parties  most  con 
cerned  with  the  revelations  of  the  approaching  inter 
view,  delicately  separated,  making  employments  and 
engagements  that  left  the  family  at  perfect  liberty; 
while  those  who  had  been  previously  notified  that 
their  presence  would  be  acceptable,  silently  repaired 
to  the  dressing-room  of  John  Effingham.  The  latter 
party  was  composed  of  Mr.  Effingham,  Paul,  and  Eve, 
only.  The  first  passed  into  his  cousin's  bed-room, 
where  he  had  a  private  conference  that  lasted  half  an 
hour.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  the  two  others  were 
summoned  to  join  him. 

John  Effingham  was  a  strong-minded  and  a  proud 
man,  his  governing  fault  being  the  self-reliance  that 
indisposed  him  to  throw  himself  on  a  greater  power, 
for  the  support,  guidance,  and  counsel,  that  all  need. 
To  humiliation  before  God,  however,  he  was  not  un 
used,  and^of  late  years  it  had  got  to  be  frequent  with 
him,  and  it  was  only  in  connexion  with  his  fellow-crea- 
37* 


438  HOME   AS   POUND. 

tures  that  his  repugnance  to  admitting  even  of  an 
equality  existed.  He  felt  how  much  more  just,  intui 
tive,  conscientious  even,  were  his  own  views  than 
those  of  mankind,  in  general ;  and  he  seldom  deigned 
to  consult  with  any  as  to  the  opinions  he  ought  to  en 
tertain,  or  as  to  the  conduct  he  ought  to  pursue.  It  is 
f carcely  necessary  to  say,  that  such  a  being  was  one 
of  strong  and  engrossing  passions,  the  impulses  fre 
quently  proving  too  imperious  for  the  affections,  or  even 
for  principles.  The  scene  that  he  was  now  compelled 
to  go  through,  was  consequently  one  of  sore  mortifica 
tion  and  self-abasement ;  and  yet,  feeling  its  justice  no 
less  than  its  necessity,  and  having  made  up  his  mind 
to  discharge  what  had  now  become  a  duty,  his  very 
pride  of  character  led  him  to  do  it  manfully,  and  with 
no  uncalled-for  reserves.  It  was  a  painful  and  humili 
ating  task,  notwithstanding;  and  it  required  all  the 
self-command,  all  the  sense  of  right,  and  all  the  clear 
perception  of  consequences,  that  one  so  quick  to  dis 
criminate  could  not  avoid  perceiving,  to  enable  him  to 
go  through  it  with  the  required  steadiness  and  con 
nexion. 

John  Effingham  received  Paul  and  Eve,  seated  in 
an  easy  chair ;  for,  while  he  could  not  be  said  to  be 
ill,  it  was  evident  that  his  very  frame  had  been  shaken 
by  the  events  and  emotions  01  the  few  preceding  hours. 
He  gave  a  hand  to  each,  and,  drawing  Eve  affection 
ately  to  him,  he  imprinted  a  kiss  on  a  cheek  that  was 
burning,  though  it  paled  and  reddened  in  quick  succes 
sion,  the  heralds  of  the  tumultuous  thoughts  within.  The 
look  he  gave  Paul  was  kind  and  welcome,  while  a 
hectic  spot  glowed  on  each  cheek,  betraying  that  his 
presence  excited  pain  as  well  as  pleasure.  A  long 
pause  succeeded  this  meeting,  when  John  Effingham 
broke  the  silence. 

*'  There  can  now  be  no  manner  of  question,  my 
dear  Paul,"  he  said,  smiling  affectionately  but  sadly, 
as  he  looked  at  the  young  man,  "  about  your  being  my 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  439 

son.  The  letter  written  by  John  Assheton  to  your 
mother,  after  the  separation  of  your  parents,  would 
settle  that  important  point,  had  not  the  names,  and  the 
other  facts  that  have  come  to  our  knowledge,  already 
convinced  me  of  the  precious  truth ;  for  precious  and 
very  dear  to  me  is  the  knowledge  that  I  am  the  father 
of  so  worthy  a  child.  You  must  prepare  yourself  to 
hear  things  that  it  will  not  be  pleasant  for  a  son  to 
listen " 

"  No,  no — cousin  Jack — dear  cousin  Jack  1"  cried 
Eve,  throwing  herself  precipitately  into  her  kinsman's 
arms,  "  we  will  hear  nothing  of  the  sort.  It  is  suffi 
cient  that  you  are  Paul's  father,  and  we  wish  to  know 
no  more — will  hear  no  more." 

"  This  is  like  yourself,  Eve,  but  it  wrill  not  answer 
what  I  conceive  to  be  the  dictates  of  duty.  Paul  had 
two  parents;  and  not  the  slightest  suspicion  ought  to 
rest  on  one  of  them,  in  order  to  spare  the  feelings  of 
the  other.  In  showing  me  this  kindness  you  are  treat 
ing  Paul  inconsiderately." 

"  I  beg,  dear  sir,  you  will  not  think  too  much  of  me, 
but  entirely  consult  your  own  judgment — your  own 
sense  of — in  short,  dear  father,  that  you  will  consider 
yourself  before  your  son." 

"  I  thank  you,  my  children — what  a  word,  and  what 
a  novel  sensation  is  this,  for  me,  Ned  ! — I  feel  all  your 
kindness,  but  if  you  would  consult  my  peace  of  mind, 
and  wish  me  to  regain  my  self-respect,  you  will  allow 
me  to  disburthen  my  soul  of  the  weight  that  oppresses 
it.  This  is  strong  language ;  but,  while  I  have  no  con 
fessions  of  deliberate  criminality,  or  of  positive  vice  to 
make,  I  feel  it  to  be  hardly  too  strong  for  the  facts. 
My  tale  will  be  very  short,  and  I  crave  your  patience, 
Ned,  while  I  expose  my  former  weakness  to  these 
young  people."  Here  John  Effingham  paused,  as  if 
to  recollect  himself;  then  he  proceeded  with  a  seri 
ousness  of  manner  that  caused  every  syllable  he  ut 
tered  to  tell  on  the  ears  of  his  listeners.  "  It  is  well 


440  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

known  to  your  father,  Eve,  though  it  will  probably  be 
new  to  you,"  he  said,  "  that  I  felt  a  passion  for  your 
sainted  mother,  such  as  few  men  ever  experience  for 
any  of  your  sex.  Your  father  and  myself  were  suitors 
for  her  favour  at  the  same  time,  though  I  can  scarce- 
ly^say,  Edward,  that  any  feeling  of  rivalry  entered  into 
the  competition." 

"  You  do  me  no  more  than  justice,  John,  for  if  the 
affection  of  my  beloved  Eve  could  cause  me  grief,  it 
was  because  it  brought  you  pain." 

"  I  had  the  additional  mortification  of  approving  of 
the  choice  she  made ;  for,  certainly,  as  respected  her 
own  happiness,  your  mother  did  more  wisely  in  con 
fiding  it  to  the  regulated,  mild,  and  manly  virtues  of 
your  father,  than  in  placing  her  hopes  on  one  as  eccen  • 
trie  and  violent  as  myself." 

"  This  is  injustice,  John.  You  may  have  been  posi 
tive,  and  a  little  stern,  at  times,  but  never  violent,  and 
least  of  all  with  a  woman." 

"  Call  it  what  you  will,  it  unfitted  me  to  make  one 
so  meek,  gentle,  and  yet  high-souled,  as  entirely  happy 
as  she  deserved  to  be,  and  as  you  did  make  her,  while 
she  remained  on  earth.  I  had  the  courage  to  stay  and 
learn  that  your  father  was  accepted,  (though  the  mar 
riage  was  deferred  two  years  in  consideration  for  my 
feelings,)  and  then  with  a  heart,  in  which  mortified 
pride,  wounded  love,  a  resentment  that  was  aimed  ra 
ther  against  myself  than  against  your  parents,  I  quit 
ted  home,  with  a  desperate  determination  never  to  re 
join  my  family  again.  This  resolution  I  did  not  own 
to  myself,  even,  but  it  lurked  in  my  intentions  unowned, 
festering  like  a  mortal  disease ;  and  it  caused  me,  when 
I  burst  away  from  the  scene  of  happiness  of  which  I 
had  been  a  compelled  witness,  to  change  my  name, 
and  to  make  several  inconsistent  and  extravagant  ar 
rangements  to  abandon  my  native  country  even." 

"Poor  John!"  exclaimed  his  cousin,  involuntarily, 
'this  would  have  been  a  sad  blot  on  our  felicity,  had 
we  known  it !" 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  441 

"  I  was  certain  of  that,  even  when  most  writhing 
under  the  blow  you  had  so  unintentionally  inflicted, 
Ned ;  but  the  passions  are  tyrannical  and  inconsistent 
masters.  I  took  my  mother's  name,  changed  my  ser 
vant,  and  avoided  those  parts  of  the  country  where  I 
was  known.  At  this  time,  I  feared  for  my  own  rea 
son,  and  the  thought  crossed  my  mind,  that  by  making 
a  sudden  marriage  I  might  supplant  the  old  passion, 
which  was  so  near  destroying  me,  by  some  of  that 
gentler  affection  which  seemed  to  render  you  so  blest, 
Edward." 

"  Nay,  John,  this  was,  itself,  a  temporary  tottering 
of  the  reasoning  faculties." 

"  It  was  simply  the  effect  of  passions,  over  which 
reason  had  never  been  taught  to  exercise  a  sufficient 
influence.  Chance  brought  me  acquainted  with  Miss 
Warrender,  in  one  of  the  southern  states,  and  she  pro 
mised,  as  I  fancied,  to  realize  all  my  wild  schemes  of 
happiness  and  resentment." 
"  Resentment,  John  ?" 

"  I  fear  I  must  confess  it,  Edward,  though  it  were 
anger  against  myself.  I  first  made  Miss  Warrender's 
acquaintance  as  John  Assheton,  and  some  months  had 
passed  before  I  determined  to  try  the  fearful  experi 
ment  I  have  mentioned.  She  was  young,  beautiful, 
well-born,  virtuous  and  good  ;  if  she  had  a  fault,  it 
was  her  high  spirit— not  high  temper,  but  she  was 
high-souled  and  proud." 

"Thank  God,  for  this!"  burst  from  the  inmost  soul 
of  Paul,  with  unrestrainable  feeling. 

"  You  have  little  to  apprehend,  my  son,  on  the  sub 
ject  of  your  mother's  character ;  if  not  perfect,  she 
was  wanting  in  no  womanly  virtue,  and  might,  nay 
ought  to  have  made  any  reasonable  man  happy.  My 
offer  was  accepted,  for  I  found  her  heart  disengao-ed. 
Miss  Warrender  was  not  affluent,  and,  in  addition  to 
the  other  unjustifiable  motives  that  influenced  me,  I 
thought  there  would  be  a  satisfaction  in  believing  that 


442  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

I  had  been  chosen  for  myself,  rather  than  for  my 
wealth.  Indeed,  I  had  got  to  be  distrustful  and  unge 
nerous,  and  then  I  disliked  the  confession  of  the  weak 
ness  that  had  induced  me  to  change  my  name.  The 
simple,  I  might  almost  say,  loose  laws  of  this  country, 
on  the  subject  of  marriage,  removed  all  necessity  for 
explanations,  there  being  no  bans  nor  license  necessary, 
and  the  Christian  name  only  being  used  in  the  cere 
mony.  We  were  married,  therefore,  but  I  was  not  so 
unmindful  of  the  rights  of  others,  as  to  neglect  to  pro 
cure  a  certificate,  under  a  promise  of  secrecy,  in  my 
own  name.  By  going  to  the  place  where  the  cere 
mony  was  performed,  you  will  also  find  the  marriage 
of  John  Effingham  and  Mildred  Warrender  duly  regis 
tered  in  the  books  of  the  church  to  which  the  offi 
ciating  clergyman  belonged.  So  far,  I  did  what  justice 
required,  though,  with  a  motiveless  infatuation  for 
which  I  can  now  hardly  account,  which  cannot  be 
accounted  for,  except  by  ascribing  it  to  the  inconsistent 
cruelty  of  passion,  I  concealed  my  real  name  from  her 
with  whom  there  should  have  been  no  concealment. 
I  fancied,  I  tried  to  fancy  I  was  no  impostor,  as  I  was 
of  the  family  I  represented  myself  to  be,  by  the  mo 
ther's  side ;  and  I  wished  to  believe  that  my  peace 
would  easily  be  made  when  I  avowed  myself  to  be  the 
man  I  really  was.  I  had  found  Miss  Warrender  and 
her  sister  living  with  a  well-intentioned  but  weak  aunt, 
and  with  no  male  relative  to  make  those  inquiries  which 
would  so  naturally  have  suggested  themselves  to  per 
sons  of  ordinary  worldly  prudence.  It  is  true,  I  had 
become  known"  to  them  under  favourable  circum 
stances,  and  they  had  good  reason  to  believe  me  an 
Assheton  from  some  accidental  evidence  that  I  pos 
sessed,  which  unanswerably  proved  my  affinity  to  that 
family,  without  betraying  my  true  name.  But  there  is 
so  little  distrust  in  this  country,  that,  by  keeping  at  a 
distance  from  the  places  in  which  I  was  personally 
known,  a  life  might  have  passed  without  exposure." 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  443 

"  This  was  all  wrong,  dear  cousin  Jack,"  said  Eve, 
taking  his  hand  and  affectionately  kissing  it,  while  her 
face  kindled  with  a  sense  of  her  sex's  rights,  "  and  I 
should  be  unfaithful  to  my  womanhood  were  I  to  say 
otherwise.  You  had  entered  into  the  most  solemn  of 
all  human  contracts,  and  evil  is  the  omen  when  such 
an  engagement  is  veiled  by  any  untruth.  But,  still,  one 
would  think  you  might  have  been  happy  with  a  vritu- 
ous  and  affectionate  wife !" 

"  Alas !  it  is  but  a  hopeless  experiment  to  marry  one, 
while  the  heart  is  still  yearning  towards  another.  Con 
fidence  came  too  late ;  for,  discovering  my  unhappiness, 
Mildred  extorted  a  tardy  confession  from  me  ;  a  con 
fession  of  all  but  the  concealment  of  the  true  name ; 
and  justly  wounded  at  the  deception  of  which  she  had 
been  the  dupe,  and  yielding  to  the  impulses  of  a  high 
and  generous  spirit,  she  announced  to  me  that  she  was 
unwilling  to  continue  the  wife  of  any  man  on  such 
terms.  We  parted,  and  I  hastened  into  the  south 
western  states,  where  I  passed  the  next  twelvemonth 
in  travelling,  hurrying  from  place  to  place,  in  the  vain 
hope  of  obtaining  peace  of  mind.  I  plunged  into  the 
prairies,  and  most  of  the  time  mentioned  was  lost  to 
me  as  respects  the  world,  in  the  company  of  hunters 
and  trappers." 

"  This,  then,  explains  your  knowledge  of  that  sec 
tion  of  the  country,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Effingham,  "  for 
which  I  have  never  been  able  to  account !  We  thought 
you  among  your  old  friends  in  Carolina,  all  that  time." 

"  No  one  knew  where  I  had  secreted  myself,  for  I 
passed  under  another  feigned  name,  and  had  no  ser 
vant,  even.  I  had,  however,  sent  an  address  to  Mil 
dred,  where  a  letter  wouH  find  me ;  7or,  I  had  begun 
to  feel  a  sincere  affect  jn  for  her,  though  it  might 
not  have  amounted  to  passion,  and  looked  forward 
to  being  reunited,  when  her  wounded  feelings  had 
time  to  regain  their  tranquillity.  The  obligations  of 
wedlock  are  too  serious  to  be  lightly  thrown  aside,  and 


444  HOME    AS    FOUND.  v 

[  felt  persuaded  that  neither  of  us  would  be  satisfied 
in  the  end,  without  discharging  the  duties  of  the  state 
into  which  we  had  entered." 

"  And  why  did  you  not  hasten  to  your  poor  wife, 
cousin  Jack,"  Eve  innocently  demanded,  "  as  soon  as 
you  returned  to  the  settlements  ?' 

"  Alas !  my  dear  girl,  I  found  letters  at  St.  Louis 
announcing  her  death.  Nothing  was  said  of  any  child, 
nor  did  I  in  the  least  suspect  that  I  was  about  to  be 
come  a  father.  When  Mildred  died,  I  thought  all  the 
ties,  all  the  obligations,  all  the  traces  of  my  ill-judged 
marriage  were  extinct ;  and  the  course  taken  by  her 
relations,  of  whom,  in  this  country,  there  remained 
very  few,  left  me  no  inclination  to  proclaim  it.  By 
observing  silence,  I  continued  to  pass  as  a  bachelor, 
of  course ;  though  had  there  been  any  apparent  reason 
for  avowing  what  had  occurred,  I  think  no  one  who 
knows  me,  can  suppose  I  would  have  shrunk  from 
doing  so." 

"  May  I  inquire,  my  dear  sir,"  Paul  asked,  with  a 
timidity  of  manner  that  betrayed  how  tenderly  he  felt 
it  necessary  to  touch  on  the  subject  at  all — "  may  I 
inquire,  my  dear  sir,  what  course  was  taken  by  my 
mother's  relatives?" 

"  I  never  knew  Mr.  Warrender,  my  wife's  brother, 
but  he  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  haughty  and  ex-* 
acting  man.  His  letters  were  not  friendly  ;  scarcely 
tolerable;  for  he  affected  to  believe  I  had  given  a 
false  address  at  the  west,  when  I  was  residing  in  the 
middle  states,  and  he  threw  out  hints  that  to  me  were 
then  inexplicable,  but  which  the  letters  left  with  me, 
by  Paul,  have  sufficiently  explained.  I  thought  him 
cruel  and  unfeeling  at  the  time,  but  he  had  an  excuse 
for  his  conduct." 

"  Which  was,  sir ?"  Paul  eagerly  inquired. 

"  I  perceive  by  the  letters  you  have  given  me,  my 
son,  that  your  mother's  family  had  imbibed  the  opi 
nion,  that  I  was  John  Assheton,  of  Lancaster,  a  man 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  445 

of  singular  humours,  who  had  made  an  unfoituna.te 
marriage  in  Spain,  and  whose  wife,  I  believe,  is  still 
living  in  Paris,  though  lost  to  herself  and  her  friends. 
My  kinsman  lived  retired,  and  never  recovered  the 
blow.  As  he  was  one  of  the  only  persons  of  the  name, 
who  could  have  married  your  mother,  her  relatives 
appear  to  have  taken  up  the  idea  that  he  had  bedft 
guilty  of  bigamy,  and  of  course  that  Paul  was  illegiti 
mate.  Mr.  Warrender,  by  his  letters,  appears  even  to 
have  had  an  interview  with  this  person,  and,  on  men 
tioning  his  wife,  was  rudely  repulsed  from  the  house. 
It  was  a  proud  family,  and  Mildred  being  dead,  the 
concealment  of  the  birth  of  her  child  was  resorted  to, 
as  a  means  of  averting  a  fancied  disgrace.  As  for 
myself,  I  call  the  all-seeing  eye  of  God  to  witness,  that 
the  thought  of  my  being  a  parent  never  crossed  my 
mind,  until  I  learned  that  a  John  Assheton  was  the 
father  of  Paul,  and  that  the  miniature  of  Mildred 
Warrender,  that  I  received  at  the  period  of  our  en 
gagement,  was  the  likeness  of  his  mother.  The  simple 
declaration  of  Captain  Ducie  concerning  the  family 
name  of  his  mother,  removed  all  doubt." 

"  But,  cousin  Jack,  did  not  the  mention  of  Lady 
Dunluce,  of  the  Ducies,  and  of  Paul's  connections, 
excite  curiosity  ?" 

"  Concerning  w7hat,  dear  ?     I  could  have  no  curi 
osity  about  a  child  of  whose  existence  I  was  ignorant. 
I  did  know  that  the  Warrenders  had  pretensions  to 
both  rank  and  fortune  in  England,  but  never  heard  the 
title,  and  cared  nothing  about  money  that  would  not 
probably,  be  Mildred's.      Of  General  Ducie  I  nevei 
even  heard,  as  he  married  after  my  separation,  and 
subsequently  to  the  receipt  of  my  brother-in-law's  let 
ters,  I  wished  to  forget  the  existence  of  the  family.     1 
went  to  Europe,  and  remained  abroad  seven  years 
and  as  this  was  at  a  time  when  the  continent  was 
closed  against  the  English,  I  was  not  in  a  way  to  hear 
any  thing  on  the  subject.     On  my  return,  my  wife's 
38 


446  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

aunt  was  dead ;  the  last  of  my  wife's  brothers  was 
dead ;  her  sister  must  then  have  been  Mrs.  Ducie  ;  no 
one  mentioned  the  Warrenders,  all  traces  of  whom 
were  nearly  lost  in  this  country,  and  to  me  the  subject 
was  too  painful  to  be  either  sought  or  dwelt  on.  It  is 
a  curious  fact,  that,  in  1829,  during  our  late  visit  to  the 
old  world,  I  ascended  the  Nile  with  General  Ducie 
for  a  travelling  companion.  We  met  at  Alexandria, 
and  went  to  the  cataracts  and  returned  in  company. 
He  knew  me  as  John  Effingham,  an  American  travel 
ler  of  fortune,  if  of  no  particular  merit,  and  I  knew 
him  as  an  agreeable  English  general  officer.  He  had 
the  reserve  of  an  Englishman  of  rank,  and  seldom 
spoke  of  his  family,  and  it  was  only  on  our  return,  that 
I  found  he  had  letters  from  his  wife,  Lady  Dunluce ; 
but  little  did  I  dream  that  Lady  Dunluce  was  Mabel 
Warrender.  How  often  are  we  on  the  very  verge  of 
important  information,  and  yet  live  on  in  ignorance 
and  obscurity!  The  Ducies  appear  finally  to  have 
arrived  at  the  opinion  that  the  marriage  was  legal,  and 
that  no  reproach  rests  on  the  birth  of  Paul,  by  the  in 
quiries  made  concerning  the  eccentric  John  Assheton." 

"  They  fancied,  in  common  with  my  uncle  Warren 
der,  for  a  long  time,  that  the  John  Assheton  whom  you 
have  mentioned,  sir,"  said  Paul,  "  was  my  father.  But 
some  accidental  information,  at  a  late  day,  convinced 
them  of  their  error,  and  then  they  naturally  enough 
supposed  that  it  was  the  only  other  John  Assheton  that 
could  be  heard  of,  who  passes,  and  probably  with  suf 
ficient  reason,  for  a  bachelor.  This  latter  gentleman 
I  have  myself  always  supposed  to  be  my  father,  though 
he  has  treated  two  or  three  letters  I  have  written  to 
him,  with  the  indifference  with  which  one  would  be 
apt  to  treat  the  pretensions  of  an  impostor.  Pride  has 
prevented  me  from  attempting  to  renew  the  correspon 
dence  lately." 

"  It  is  John  Assheton  of  Bristol,  my  mother's  bro 
ther's  son,  as  inveterate  a  bachelor  as  is  to  be  found  in 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  447 

the  Union !"  said  John  Effingham,  smiling,  in  spite  of 
the  grave  subject  and  deep  emotions  that  had  so  lately 
been  uppermost  in  his  thoughts.  "  He  must  have  sup 
posed  your  letters  were  an  attempt  at  mystification  on 
the  part  of  some  of  his  jocular  associates,  and  I  am 
surprised  that  he  thought  it  necessary  to  answer  them 
at  all." 

"  He  did  answer  but  one,  arid  that  reply  certainly 
had  something  of  the  character  you  suggest,  sir.  I 
freely  forgive  him,  now  I  understand  the  truth,  though 
his  apparent  contempt  gave  me  many  a  bitter  pang 
at  the  time.  I  saw  Mr.  Assheton  once  in  public,  and 
observed  him  well,  for,  strange  as  it  is,  I  have  been 
thought  to  resemble  him." 

"  Why  strange  ?  Jack  Assheton  and  myself  have, 
or  rather  had  a  strong  family  likeness  to  each  other, 
and,  though  the  thought  is  new  to  me,  I  can  now  easily 
trace  this  resemblance  to  myself.  It  is  rather  an 
Assheton  than  an  Effingham  look,  though  the  latter  is 
not  wanting." 

"  These  explanations  are  very  clear  and  satisfactory," 
observed  Mr.  Effingham,  "  and  leave  little  doubt  that 
Paul  is  the  child  of  John  Effingham  and  Mildred  War- 
render  ;  but  they  would  be  beyond  all  cavil,  were  the 
infancy  of  the  boy  placed  in  an  equally  plain  point  of 
view,  and  could  the  reasons  be  known  why  the  War- 
randers  abandoned  him  to  the  care  of  those  who 
yielded  him  up  to  Mr.  Powis." 

"  I  see  but  little  obscurity  in  that,"  returned  John 
Effingham.  "  Paul  is  unquestionably  the  child  referred 
to  in  the  papers  left  by  poor  Monday,  to  the  care  of 
whose  mother  he  was  intrusted,  until,  in  his  fourth 
year,  she  yielded  him  to  Mr.  Powis,  to  get  rid  of  trou 
ble  and  expense,  while  she  kept  the  annuity  granted  by 
Lady  Dunluce.  The  names  appear  in  the  concluding 
letters ;  and  had  we  read  the  the  latter  through  at  first, 
we  should  earlier  have  arrived  at  the  same  conclusion. 
Could  we  find  the  man  called  Dowse,  who  appears  to 


448  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

have  instigated  the  fraud,  and  who  married  Mrs.  Mon 
day,  the  whole  thing  would  be  explained." 

"  Of  this  I  am  aware,"  said  Paul,  for  he  and  John 
Effingham  had  perused  the  remainder  of  the  Monday 
papers  together,  after  the  fainting  fit  of  the  latter,  as 
soon  as  his  strength  would  admit ;  "and  Captain  Truck 
is  now  searching  for  an  old  passenger  of  his,  who  i 
think  will  furnish  the  clue.  Should  we  get  this  evi 
dence,  it  would  settle  all  legal  questions." 

"  Such  questions  will  never  be  raised,"  said  John 
Effingham,  holding  out  his  hand  affectionately  to  his 
son ;  "  you  possess  the  marriage  certificate  given  to 
your  mother,  and  I  avow  myself  to  have  been  the  per 
son  therein  styled  John  Assheton.  This  fact  I  have 
endorsed  on  the  back  of  the  certificate ;  while  here  is 
another  given  to  me  in  my  proper  name,  with  the  en 
dorsement  made  by  the  clergyman  that  I  passed  by 
another  name,  at  the  ceremony." 

"  Such  a  man,  cousin  Jack,  was  unworthy  of  his 
cloth !"  said  Eve  with  energy. 

"  I  do  not  think  so,  my  child.  He  was  innocent  of  the 
original  deception ;  this  certificate  was  given  after  the 
death  of  my  wife,  and  might  do  good,  whereas  it  could 
do  no  harm.  The  clergyman  in  question  is  now  a 
bishop,  and  is  still  living.  He  may  give  evidence  if 
necessary,  to  the  legality  of  the  marriage." 

"  And  the  clergyman  by  whom  I  was  baptized  is  also 
alive,"  cried  Paul,  "  and  has  never  lost  sight  of  me 
He  was,  in  part,  in  the  confidence  of  my  mother' 
family,  and  even  after  I  was  adopted  by  Mr.  Powis 
he  kept  me  in  vie'w  as  one  of  his  little  Christians  as  he 
termed  me.  It  was  no  less  a  person  than  Dr. .' 

"  This  alone  would  make  out  the  connection  and 
identity,"  said  Mr.  Effingham,  "  without  the  aid  of  the 
Monday  witnesses.  The  whole  obscurity  has  arisen 
from  John's  change  of  name,  and  his  ignorance  of  the 
fact  that  his  wife  had  a  child.  The  Duc/es  appear  to 
have  had  plausible  reasons,  too,  for  distrusting  the 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  449 

legality  of  the  marriage ;  but  all  is  now  clear,  and  as 
a  large  estate  is  concerned,  we  will  take  care  that  no 
further  obscurity  shall  rest  over  the  affair." 

"  The  part  connected  with  the  estate  is  already 
secured,"  said  John  Effingham,  looking  at  Eve  with 
a  smile.  "  An  American  can  always  make  a  will,  and 
one  that  contains  but  a  single  bequest  is  soon  written. 
Mine  is  executed,  and  Paul  Effingham,  my  son  by  my 
marriage  with  Mildred  Warrender,  and  lately  known 
in  the  United  States'  Navy  as  Paul  Powis,  is  duly  de 
clared  my  heir.  This  will  suffice  for  all  legal  pur 
poses,  though  we  shall  have  large  draughts  of  gossip 
to  swallow." 

"  Cousin  Jack !" 

«  Daughter  Eve  !" 

"  Who  has  given  cause  for  it  ?" 

"  He  who  commenced  one  of  the  most  sacred  of 
his  earthly  duties,  with  an  unjustifiable  deception.  The 
wisest  way  to  meet  it,  will  be  to  make  our  avowals 
of  the  relationship  as  open  as  possible." 

"  I  see  no  necessity,  John,  of  entering  into  details," 
said  Mr.  Effingham  ;  "  you  were  married  young,  and 
lost  your  wife  within  a  year  of  your  marriage.  She 
was  a  Miss  Warrender,  and  the  sister  of  Lady  Dun- 
luce  ;  Paul  and  Ducie  are  declared  cousins,  and  the 
former  proves  to  be  your  son,  of  whose  existence  you 
were  ignorant.  No  one  will  presume  to  question  any 
of  us,  and  it  really  strikes  me  that  all  rational  people 
ought  to  be  satisfied  with  this  simple  account  of  the 
matter." 

"Father!"  exclaimed  Eve,  with  her  pretty  little 
hands  raised  in  the  attitude  of  surprise,  "  in  what  capi 
tal  even,  in  what  part  of  the  world,  would  such  a 
naked  account  appease  curiosity  ?  Much  less  will  it 
suffice  here,  where  every  human  being,  gentle  or  sim 
ple,  learned  or  ignorant,  refined  or  vulgar,  fancies 
himself  a  constitutional  judge  of  all  the  acts  of  all  his 
fejlow-creatures  ?" 


450  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

"  We  have  at  least  the  consolation  of  knowing  that 
no  revelations  will  make  the  matter  any  worse,  or  any 
better,"  said  Paul,  "  as  the  gossips  would  tell  their  own 
tale,  in  every  case,  though  its  falsehood  were  as  appa 
rent  as  the  noon-day  sun.  A  gossip  is  essentially  a  liar, 
and  truth  is  the  last  ingredient  that  is  deemed  neces 
sary  to  his  other  qualifications ;  indeed,  a  well  authen 
ticated  fact  is  a  death-blow  to  a  gossip.  I  hope,  my 
dear  sir,  you  will  say  no  more  than  that  I  am  your 
son,  a  circumstance  much  too  precious  to  me  to  be 
omitted." 

John  Effingham  looked  affectionately  at  the  noble 
young  man,  whom  he  had  so  long  esteemed  and  ad 
mired  ;  and  the  tears  forced  themselves  to  his  eyes,  as 
he  felt  the  supreme  happiness  that  can  alone  gladden 
a  parent's  heart. 


CHAPTER  XXYIIL 

"For  my  part,  I  care  not:  I  say  little;  but  when  the  time  comes,  there 
ehall  be  smiles." NYM. 

ALTHOUGH  Paul  Effingham  was  right,  and  Eve 
Effingham  was  also  right,  in  their  opinions  of  the  art 
of  gossiping,  they  both  forgot  one  qualifying  circum 
stance,  that,  arising  from  different  causes,  produces 
the  same  effect,  equally  in  a  capital  and  in  a  province. 
In  the  first,  marvels  form  a  nine  days'  wonder  from 
the  hurry  of  events ;  in  the  latter,  from  the  hurry 
of  talking.  When  it  was  announced  in  Templeton 
that  Mr.  John  Effingham  had  discovered  a  son  in  Mr 
Powis,  as  that  son  had  conjectured,  every  thing  but 
the  truth  was  rumoured  and  believed,  in  connection 
with  the  circumstance.  Of  course  it  excited  a  good 
deal  of  a  natural  and  justifiable  curiosity  and  surprise 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  451 

in  the  trained  and  intelligent,  for  John  Effingham  had 
passed  for  a  confirmed  bachelor;  but  they  were  gene 
rally  content  to  suffer  a  family  to  have  feelings  and 
incidents  that  were  not  to  be  paraded  before  a  neigh 
bourhood.  Having  some  notions  themselves  of  the 
delicacy  and  sanctity  of  the  domestic  affections,  they 
were  willing  to  respect  the  same  sentiments  in  others. 
But  these  few  excepted,  the  village  was  in  a  tumult 
of  surmises,  reports,  contradictions,  confirmations, 
rebutters,  and  sur-rebutters,  for  a  fortnight.  Several 
village  elegants,  whose  notions  of  life  were  obtained 
in  the  valley  in  which  they  were  born,  and  who  had 
turned  up  their  noses  at  the  quiet,  reserved,  gentleman 
like  Paul,  because  he  did  not  happen  to  suit  their  tastes, 
were  disposed  to  resent  his  claim  to  be  his  father's  son, 
as  if  it  were  an  injustice  done  to  their  rights ;  such  com 
mentators  on  men  and  things  uniformly  bringing 
every  thing  down  to  the  standard  of  self.  Then  the 
approaching  marriages  at  the  Wigwam  had  to  run  the 
gauntlet,  not  only  of  village  and  county  criticisms,  but 
that  of  the  mighty  Emporium  itself,  as  it  is  the  fashion 
to  call  the  confused  and  tasteless  collection  of  flaring 
red  brick  houses,  marten-box  churches,  and  colossal 
taverns,  that  stands  on  the  island  of  Manhattan ;  the 
discussion  of  marriages  being  a  topic  of  never-ending 
interest  in  that  well  regulated  social  organization, 
after  the  subjects  of  dollars,  lots,  and  wines,  have  been 
duly  exhausted.  Sir  George  Templemore  was  trans 
formed  into  the  Honourable  Lord  George  Templemore, 
and  Paul's  relationship  to  Lady  Dunluce  was  convert 
ed,  as  usual,  into  his  being  the  heir  apparent  of  a  Duchy 
of  that  name;  Eve's  preference  for  a  nobleman,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  to  the  aristocratical  tastes  imbibed 
during  a  residence  in  foreign  countries;  Eve,  the  in 
tellectual,  feminine,  instructed  Eve,  whose  European 
associations,  while  they  had  taught  her  to  prize  the 
refinement,  grace,  retenue,  and  tone  of  an  advanced 
condition  of  society,  had  also  taught  her  to  despise  its 


452  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

mere  covering  and  glitter !  But,  as  there  is  no  pro 
tection  against  falsehood,  so  is  there  no  reasoning  with 
ignorance. 

A  sacred  few,  at  the  head  of  whom  were  Mr.  Stead 
fast  Dodge  and  Mrs.Widow-Bewitched  Abbott,  treated 
the  matter  as  one  of  greater  gravity,  and  as  possessing 
an  engrossing  interest  for  the  entire  community. 

"  For  my  part,  Mr.  Dodge,"  said  Mrs.  Abbott,  in 
one  of  their  frequent  conferences,  about  a  fortnight 
after  the  eclaircissement  of  the  last  chapter,  "  I  do  not 
believe  that  Paul  Powis  is  Paul  Effingham  at  all.  You 
say  that  you  knew  him  by  the  name  of  Blunt  when  he 
was  a  younger  man?" 

"  Certainly,  ma'am.  He  passed  universally  by  that 
name  formerly,  and  it  may  be  considered  as  at  least 
extraordinary  that  he  should  have  had  so  many  aliases. 
The  truth  of  the  matter  is,  Mrs.  Abbott,  if  truth  could 
be  corne  at,  which  I  always  contend  is  very  difficult  in 
the  present  state  of  the  world " 

"You  never  said  a  juster  thing,  Mr.  Dodge !"  inter 
rupted  the  lady,  feelings  impetuous  as  hers  seldom 
waiting  for  the  completion  of  a  sentence,  "  I  never  can 
get  hold  of  the  truth  of  any  thing  now ;  you  may 
remember  you  insinuated  that  Mr.  John  Effingham 
himself  was  to  be  married  to  Eve,  and,  lo  and  benold ! 
it  turns  out  to  be  his  son !" 

"  The  lady  may  have  changed  her  mind,  Mrs.  Ab 
bott  :  she  get's  the  same  estate  with  a  younger  man." 

"  She's  monstrous  disagreeable,  and  I'm  sure  it  will 
be  a  relief  to  the  whole  village  when  she  is  married, 
let  it  be  to  the  father,  or  to  the  son.  Now,  do  you 
know,  Mr.  Dodge,  I  have  been  in  a  desperate  taking 
about  one  thing,  and  that  is  to  find  that,,  bony  fie-dy, 
the  two  old  Effinghams  are  not  actually  brothers  !  I 
knew  that  they  called  each  other  cousin  Jack  and  cou 
sin  Ned,  and  that  Eve  affected  to  call  her  uncle  cousin 
Jack,  but  then  she  has  so  many  affectations,  and  the 
l>ld  people  are  so  foreign,  that  I  looked  upon  all 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  453 

that  as  mere  pretence ;  I  said  to  myself  a  neighbour 
hood  ought  to  know  better  about  a  man's  family  than 
he  can  know  himself,  and  the  neighbourhood  all  de 
clared  they  were  brothers ;  and  yet  it  turns  out,  after 
all,  that  they  are  only  cousins !" 

"  Yes,  I  do  believe  that,  for  once,  the  family  was 
right  in  that  matter,  and  the  public  mistaken." 

"  Well,  I  should  like  to  know  who  has  a  better  right 
to  be  mistaken  than  the  public,  Mr.  Dodge.  This  is  a 
free  country,  and  if  the  people  can't  sometimes  be 
wrong,  what  is  the  mighty  use  of  their  freedom  1  We 
are  all  sinful  wretches,  at  the  best,  and  it  is  vain  to 
look  for  any  thing  but  vice  from  sinners." 

"Nay,  my  dear  Mrs.  Abbott,  you  are  too  hard  on 
yourself,  for  every  body  allows  that  you  are  as  exem 
plary  as  you  are  devoted  to  your  religious  duties." 

"Oh!  I  was  not  speaking  particularly  of  myself, 
sir ;  I  am  no  egotist  in  such  things,  and  wish  to  leave 
my  own  imperfections  to  the  charity  of  my  friends  and 
neighbours.  But,  do  you  think,  Mr.  Dodge,  that  a 
marriage  between  Paul  Effingham,  for  so  I  suppose  he 
must  be  called,  and  Eve  Effingham,  will  be  legal? 
Can't  it  be  set  aside,  and  if  that  should  be  the  case, 
wouldn't  the  fortune  go  to  the  public  ?" 

"  It  ought  to  be  so,  my  dear  ma'am,  and  I  trust  the 
day  is  not  distant  when  it  will  be  so.  The  people  are 
beginning  to  understand  their  rights,  and  another  cen 
tury  will  not  pass,  before  they  will  enforce  them  by 
the  necessary  penal  statutes.  We  have  got  matters 
so  now,  that  a  man  can  no  longer  indulge  in  the  aris 
tocratic  and  selfish  desire  to  make  a  will,  and,  take  my 
word  for  it,  we  shall  not  stop  until  we  bring  every  thing 
to  the  proper  standard." 

The  reader  is  not  to  suppose  from  his  language  that 
Mr.  Dodge  was  an  agrarian,  or  that  he  looked  forward 
to  a  division  of  property,  at  some  future  day ;  for,  pos 
sessing  in  his  own  person  already,  more  than  what 
could  possibly  fall  to  an  individual  share,  he  had  not 


454  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

the  smallest  desire  to  lessen  its  amount  by  a  general  di 
vision.  In  point  of  fact  he  did  not  know  his  own 
meaning,  except  as  he  felt  envy  of  all  above  him,  in 
which,  in  truth,  was  to  be  found  the  whole  secret  of 
his  principles,  his  impulses,  and  his  doctrines.  Any 
thing  that  would  pull  down  those  whom  education, 
habits,  fortune,  or  tastes,  had  placed  in  positions  more 
conspicuous  than  his  own,  was,  in  his  eyes,  reasonable 
and  just — as  any  thing  that  would  serve  him,  in  person, 
the  same  ill  turn,  would  have  been  tyranny  and  oppres- 
ssion.  The  institutions  of  America,  like  every  thing 
human,  have  their  bad  as  well  as  their  good  side ;  and 
while  we  firmly  believe  in  the  relative  superiority  of 
the  latter,  as  compared  with  other  systems,  we  should 
fail  of  accomplishing  the  end  set  before  us  in  this 
work,  did  we  not  exhibit,  in  strong  colours,  one  of  the 
most  prominent  consequences  that  has  attended  the 
entire  destruction  of  factitious  personal  distinctions  in 
the  country,  which  has  certainly  aided  in  bringing  out 
in  bolder  relief  than  common,  the  prevalent  disposition 
in  man  to  covet  that  which  is  the  possession  of  another, 
and  to  decry  merits  that  are  unattainable. 

"  Well,  I  rejoice  to  hear  this,"  returned  Mrs.  Abbott, 
whose  principles  were  of  the  same  loose  school  as 
those  of  her  companion,  "  for  I  think  no  one  should 
have  rights  but  those  who  have  experienced  religion, 
if  you  would  keep  vital  religion  in  a  country.  There 
goes  that  old  sea-lion,  Truck,  and  his  fishing  associate, 
the  commodore,  with  their  lines  and  poles,  as  usual, 
Mr.  Dodge  ;  I  beg  you  will  call  to  them,  for  I  long  to 
hear  what  the  first  can  have  to  say  about  his  beloved 
Effinghams,  now?" 

Mr.  Dodge  complied,  and  the  navigator  of  the  ocean 
and  the  navigator  of  the  lake,  were  soon  seated  in  Mrs. 
Abbott's  little  parlour,  which  might  be  styled  the  focus 
of  gossip,  near  those  who  were  so  lately  its  sole  oc 
cupants. 

"  This  is  wonderful  news,  gentlemen,"  commenced 


HOME    AS    fOUND.  455 

Mrs.  Abbott,  as  soon  as  the  bustle  of  the  entrance 
nad  subsided.  "  Mr.  Powis  is  Mr.  Effingham,  and  it 
*eems  that  Miss  Effingham  is  to  become  Mrs.  Effing- 
nam.  Miracles  will  never  cease,  and  I  look  upon  this 
as  one  of  the  most  surprising  of  my  time." 

"  Just  so,  ma'am,"  said  the  commodore,  winking  his 
eye,  and  giving  the  usual  flourish  with  a  hand ;  "  your 
time  has  not  been  that  of  a  day  neither,  and  Mr.  Powis 
has  reason  to  rejoice  that  he  is  the  hero  of  such  a  his 
tory.  For  my  part,  I  could  not  have  been  more  as 
tonished,  were  I  to  bring  up  the  sogdollager  with  a 
trout-hook,  having  a  cheese  paring  for  the  bait." 

"  I  understand,"  continued  the  lady,  "  that  there  are 
doubts  after  all,  whether  this  miracle  be  really  a  true 
miracle.  It  is  hinted  that  Mr.  Powis  is  neither  Mr. 
Effingham  nor  Mr.  Powis,  but  that  he  is  actually  a 
Mr.  Blunt.  Do  you  happen  to  know  any  thing  of  the 
matter,  Captain  Truck?" 

"I  have  been  introduced  to  him,  ma'am,  by  all 
three  names,  and  I  consider  him  as  an  acquaintance 
in  each  character.  I  can  assure  you,  moreover,  that 
he  is  A,  No.  1,  on  whichever  tack  you  take  him ;  a  man 
who  carries  a  weather  helm  in  the  midst  of  his  ene 
mies." 

"  Well,  I  do  not  consider  it  a  very  great  recommen 
dation  for  one  to  have  enemies,  at  all.     Now,  I  dare 
say,  Mr.  Dodge,  you  have  not  an  enemy  on  earth  ?" 

"  I  should  be  sorry  to  think  that  I  had,  Mrs.  Abbott. 
I  am  every  man's  friend,  particularly  the  poor  man's 
friend,  and  I  should  suppose  that  ev^ery  man  ought  to 
be  my  friend.  I  hold  the  whole  human  family  to  be 
brethren,  and  that  they  ought  to  live  together  as 
such." 

"  Very  true,  sir ;  quite  true — we  are  all  sinners,  and 
ought  to  look  favourably  on  each  other's  failings.  It 
is  no  business  of  mine — I  say  it  is  no  business  of  ours, 
Mr.  Dodge,  who  Miss  Eve  Effingham  marries ;  but 
>yere  she  my  daughter,  I  do  think  I  should  not  like  her 


456  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

to  have  three  family  names,  and  to  keep  her  own  in 
the  bargain !" 

"  The  Effinghams  hold  their  heads  very  much  up, 
though  it  is  not  easy  to  see  why ;  but  so  they  do,  and 
the  more  names  the  better,  perhaps,  for  such  people," 
returned  the  editor.  "  For  my  part,  I  treat  them  with 
condescension,  just  as  I  do  every  body  else ;  for  it  is  a 
rule  with  me,  Captain  Truck,  to  make  use  of  the  same 
deportment  to  a  king  on  his  throne,  as  I  would  to  a 
beggar  in  the  street." 

"  Merely  to  show  that  you  do  not  feel  yourself  to  be 
above  your  betters.  We  have  many  such  philosophers 
in  this  country." 

"  Just  so,"  said  the  commodore. 

"  I  wish  I  knew,"  resumed  Mrs.  Abbott ;  for  there 
existed  in  her  head,  as  well  as  in  that  of  Mr.  Dodge, 
such  a  total  confusion  on  the  subject  of  deportment, 
that  neither  saw  nor  felt  the  cool  sarcasm  of  the  old 
sailor ;  "  I  wish  I  knew,  now,  whether  Eve  Effingham 
has  really  been  regenerated !  What  is  your  opinion, 
commodore  V 

"  Re-what,  ma'am,"  said  the  commodore,  who  was 
not  conscious  of  ever  having  heard  the  word  before ; 
for,  in  his  Sabbaths  on  the  water,  where  he  often 
worshipped  God  devoutly  in  his  heart,  the  language 
of  the  professedly  pious  was  never  heard ;  "  I  can  only 
say  she  is  as  pretty  a  skiff  as  floats,  but  I  can  tell  you 
nothing  about  resuscitation — indeed,  I  never  heard  of 
her  having  been  drowned." 

"Ah,  Mrs.  Abbott,  the  very  best  friends  of  the 
Effinghams  will  not  maintain  that  they  are  pious.  I 
do  not  wish  to  be  invidious,  or  to  say  unneighbourly 
things ;  but  were  I  upon  oath,  I  could  testify  to  a  great 
many  things,  which  would  unqualifiedly  show,  that 
none  of  them  have  ever  experienced." 

"  Now,  Mr.  Dodge,  you  know  how  much  I  dislike 
scandal,"  the  widow-bewitched  cried  affectedly,  "  and 
I  cannot  tolerate  such  a  sweeping  charge,  I  insist  on 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  457 

the  proofs  of  what  you  say,  in  which,  no  doubt,  these 
gentlemen  will  join  me." 

By  proofs,  Mrs.  Abbott  meant  allegations. 

"  Well,  ma'am,  since  you  insist  on  my  proving  what 
I  have  said,  you  shall  not  be  disappointed.  In  the  first 
place,  then,  they  read  their  family  prayers  out  of  a 
book." 

"Ay,  ay,"  put  in  the  captain ;  "  but  that  merely  snows 
they  have  some  education ;  it  is  done  every  where." 

"  Your  pardon,  sir ;  no  people  but  the  Catholics  and 
the  church  people  commit  this  impiety.  The  idea  of 
reading  to  the  Deity,  Mrs.  Abbott,  is  particularly 
shocking  to  a  pious  soul." 

"  As  if  the  Lord  stood  in  need  of  letters !  That 
is  very  bad,  I  allow ;  for  at  family  prayers,  a  form 
becomes  mockery." 

"  Yes,  ma'am ;  but  what  do  you  think  of  cards  ?" 

"Cards!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Abbott,  holding  up  her 
pious  hands,  in  holy  horror. 

"  Even  so ;  foul  paste-board,  marked  with  kings  and 
queens,"  said  the  captain.  "  Why  this  is  worse  than  a 
common  sin,  being  unqualifiedly  anti-republican." 

"  I  confess  I  did  not  expect  this !  I  had  heard  that 
Eve  Effingham  was  guilty  of  indiscretions,  but  I  did 
not  think  she  was  so  lost  to  virtue,  as  to  touch  a  card. 
Oh !  Eve  Effingham ;  Eve  Effingham,  for  what  is  your 
poor  diseased  soul  destined  !" 

"  She  dances,  too,  I  suppose  you  know  that,"  con 
tinued  Mr.  Dodge,  who  finding  his  popularity  a  little 
on  the  wane,  had  joined  the  meeting  himself,  a  few 
weeks  before,  and  who  did  not  fail  to  manifest  the  zeaj 
of  a  new  convert. 

"  Dances !"  repeated  Mrs.  Abbott,  in  holy  horror. 

"  Real  fi  diddle  de  di !"  echoed  Captain  Truck. 

"Just  so,"  put  in  the  commodore;  "I  have  seen  it 
with  my  own  eyes.  But,  Mrs.  Abbott,  I  feel  bound  to 
tell  you  that  your  own  daughter " 

"  Biansy-Alzumy-Anne !"  exclaimed  the  mother  in 
alarm. 


458  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  Just  so ;  my-aunty-all-suit-me-anne,  if  that  is  her 
name.  Do  you  know,  ma'am,  that  I  have  seen  your 
own  blessed  daughter,  my-aunty-Anne,  do  a  worse 
thing,  even,  than  dancing  !" 

"  Commodore,  you  are  awful !  What  could  a  child 
of  mine  do  that  is  worse  than  dancing  ?" 

"  Why,  ma'am,  if  you  will  hear  all,  it  is  my  duty  to 
tell  you.  I  saw  aunty-Anne  (the  commodore  was 
really  ignorant  of  the  girl's  name)  jump  a  skipping- 
rope,  yesterday  morning,  between  the  hours  of  seven 
and  eight.  As  I  hope  ever  4to  see  the  sogdollager, 
again,  ma'am,  I  did !" 

"  And  do  you  call  this  as  bad  as  dancing  V 

"  Much  worse,  ma'am,  to  my  notion.  It  is  jumping 
about  without  music,  and  without  any  grace,  either, 
particularly  as  it  was  performed  by  my-aunty-Anne." 

"  You  are  given  to  light  jokes.  Jumping  the  skip 
ping-rope  is  not  forbidden  in  the  bible." 

"  Just  so ;  nor  is  dancing,  if  I  know  any  thing  about 
it ;  nor,  for  that  matter,  cards." 

"  But  waste  of  time  is ;  a  sinful  waste  of  time ;  and 
evil  passions,  and  all  unrighteousness." 

"  Just  so.  My-aunty-Anne  was  going  to  the  pump 
for  water — I  dare  say  you  sent  her — and  she  was 
misspending  her  time ;  and  as  for  evil  passions,  she  did 
not  enjoy  the  hop,  until  she  and  your  neighbour's 
daughter  had  pulled  each  other's  hair  for  the  rope,  as 
if  they  had  been  two  she-dragons.  Take  my  word  for 
it,  ma'am,  it  wanted  for  nothing  to  make  it  sin  of  the 
purest  water,  but  a  cracked  fiddle." 

While  the  commodore  was  holding  Mrs.  Abbott  at 
bay,  in  this  manner,  Captain  Truck,  who  had  given  him 
a  wink  to  that  effect,  was  employed  in  playing  off  a 
practical  joke  at  the  expense  of  the  widow.  It  was 
one  of  the  standing  amusements  of  these  worthies,  who 
had  gotten  to  be  sworn  friends  and  constant  associates, 
after  they  had  caught  as  many  fish  as  they  wished,  to 
retire  to  the  favourite  spring,  light,  the  one  his  cigar, 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  459 

the  other  his  pipe,  mix  their  grog,  and  then  relieve 
their  ennui,  when  tired  of  discussing  men  and  things, 
by  playing  cards  on  a  particular  stump.  Now,  it 
happens  that  the  captain  had  the  identical  pack  which 
had  been  used  on  all  such  occasions  in  his  pocket,  as 
was  evident  in  the  fact  that  the  cards  were  nearly  as 
distinctly  marked  on  their  backs,  as  on  their  faces. 
These  cards  he  showed  secretly  to  his  companion,  and 
when  the  attention  of  Mrs.  Abbott  was  altogether  en 
gaged  in  expecting  the  terrible  announcement  of  her 
daughter's  errors,  the  captain  slipped  them,  kings, 
queens  and  knaves,  high,  low,  jack  and  the  game,  with 
out  regard  to  rank,  into  the  lady's  work-basket.  As  soon 
as  this  feat  was  successfully  performed,  a  sign  was  giv 
en  to  the  commodore  that  the  conspiracy  was  effected, 
and  that  disputant  in  theology  gradually  began  to  give 
ground,  \vhile  he  continued  to  maintain  that  jumping 
the  rope  was  a  sin,  though  it  might  be  one  of  a 
nominal  class.  There  is  little  doubt,  had  he  pos 
sessed  a  smattering  of  phrases,  a  greater  command  of 
biblical  learning,  and  more  zeal,  that  the  fisherman 
might  have  established  a  new  shade  of  the  Christian 
faith ;  for,  while  mankind  still  persevere  in  disregarding 
the  plainest  mandates  of  God,  as  respects  humility,  the 
charities,  and  obedience,  nothing  seems  to  afford  them 
more  delight  than  to  add  to  the  catalogue  of  the 
offences  against  his  divine  supremacy.  It  was  perhaps 
lucky  for  the  commodore,  who  was  capital  at  casting 
a  pickerel  line,  but  who  usually  settled  his  polemics 
with  the  fist,  when  hard  pushed,  that  Captain  Truck 
found  leisure  to  come  to  the  rescue. 

"  I  'm  amazed,  ma'am,"  said  the  honest  packet-mas 
ter,  "  that  a  woman-  of  your  sanctity  should  deny  that 
jumping  the  rope  is  a  sin,  for  I  hold  that  point  to  have 
been  settled  by  all  our  people,  these  fifty  years.  You 
will  admit  that  the  rope  cannot  be  well-jumped  with- 
out  levity." 

"  Levity,  Captain  Truck !  I  hope  you  do  not  insinu. 
ate  that  a  daughter  of  mine  discovers  levity?" 


460  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

"Certainly,  ma'am;  she  is  called  the  best  rope- 
jumper  in  the  village,  I  hear ;  and  levity,  or  lightness 
of  carriage,  is  the  great  requisite  for  skill  in  the  art. 
Then  there  are  *  vain  repetitions' in  doing  the  same 
thing  over  and  over  so  often,  and  'vain  repetitions' 
are  forbidden  even  in  our  prayers.  I  can  call  both 
father  and  mother  to  testify  to  that  fact." 

"  Well,  this  is  news  to  me !  I  must  speak  to  the  min 
ister  about  it." 

"  Of  the  two,  the  skipping-rope  is  rather  more  sinful 
than  dancing,  for  the  music  makes  the  latter  easy ; 
whereas,  one  has  to  force  the  spirit  to  enter  into  the 
other.  Commodore,  our  hour  has  come,  and  we  must 
make  sail.  May  I  ask  the  favour,  Mrs.  Abbott,  of  a 
bit  of  thread  to  fasten  this  hook  afresh  ?" 

The  widow-bewitched  turned  to  her  basket,  and 
raising  a  piece  of  calico,  to  look  for  the  thread  "  high, 
low,  jack  and  the  game,"  stared  her  in  the  face. 
When  she  bent  her  eyes  towards  her  guests,  she  per 
ceived  all  three  gazing  at  the  cards,  with  as  much  ap 
parent  surprise  and  curiosity,  as  if  two  of  them  knew 
nothing  of  their  history. 

"  Awful !"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Abbott,  shaking  both 
hands, — "awful  —  awful  —  awful!  The  powers  of 
darkness  have  been  at  work  here !" 

"  They  seem  to  have  been  pretty  much  occupied, 
too,"  observed  the  captain,  "  for  a  better  thumbed  pack 
I  never  yet  found  in  the  forecastle  of  a  ship." 

"  Awful — awful — awful ! — This  is  equal  to  the  forty 
days  in  the  wilderness,  Mr.  Dodge." 

"  It  is  a  trying  cross,  ma'am." 

"  To  my  notion,  now,"  said  the  captain,  "  those  cards 
are  not  worse  than  the  skipping-rope,  though  I  allow 
that  they  might  have  been  cleaner." 

But  Mrs.  Abbott  was  not  disposed  to  view  the  mat 
ter  so  lightly.  She  saw  the  hand  of  the  devil  in  the 
affair,  and  fancied  it  was  a  new  trial  offered  to  her 
widowed  condition. 


HOME    AS   TOUND.  461 

•'  Are  these  actually  cards !"  she  cried,  like  one  who 
distrusted  the  evidence  of  her  senses. 

"  Just  so,  ma'am,"  kindly  answered  the  commodore ; 
"  This  is  the  ace  of  spades,  a  famous  fellow  to  hold 
when  you  have  the  leac^  and  this  is  the  Jack,  which 
counts  one,  you  know,  when  spades  are  trumps.  I 
never  saw  a  more  thorough-working  pack  in  my 
life." 

"  Or  a  more  thoroughly  worked  pack,"  added  the 
captain,  in  a  condoling  manner.  "  Well,  we  are  not 
all  perfect,  and  I  hope  Mrs.  Abbott  will  cheer  up  and 
look  at  this  matter  in  a  gayer  point  of  view.  For 
myself  I  hold  that  a  skipping-rope  is  worse  than  the 
Jack  of  spades,  Sundays  or  week  days.  Commodore, 
we  shall  see  no  pickerel  to-day,  unless  we  tear  our 
selves  from  this  good  company." 

Here  the  two  wags  took  their  leave,  and  retreated 
to  the  skiff;  the  captain,  who  foresaw  an  occasion  to 
use  them,  considerately  offering  to  relieve  Mrs.  Abbott 
from  the  presence  of  the  odious  cards,  intimating  that 
he  would  conscientiously  see  them  fairly  sunk  in  the 
deepest  part  of  the  lake. 

When  the  two  worthies  were  at  a  reasonable  distance 
from  the  shore,  the  commodore  suddenly  ceased  row 
ing,  made  a  flourish  with  his  hand,  and  incontinently  be 
gan  to  laugh,  as  if  his  mirth  had  suddenly  broken  through 
all  restraint.  Captain  Truck,  who  had  been  lighting  a 
cigar,  commenced  smoking,  and,  seldom  indulging  in 
boisterous  merriment,  he  responded  with  his  eyes, 
shaking  his  head  from  time  to  time,  with  great  satis 
faction,  as  thoughts  more  ludicrous  than  common  came 
over  his  imagination. 

"  Harkee,  commodore,"  he  said,  blowing  the  smoke 
upward,  and  watching  it  with  his  eye  until  it  floated 
away  in  a  little  cloud,  "  neither  of  us  is  a  chicken. 
You  have  studied  life  on  the  fresh  water,  and  I  have 
studied  life  on  the  salt  I  do  not  say  which  produces 
39* 


462  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

the  best  scholars,  but  I  know  that  both  make  better 
Christians  than  the  jack-screw  system." 

"Just  so.  I  tell  them  in  the  village  that  little  is 
gained  in  the  end  by  following  the  blind ;  that  is  my 
doctrine,  sir."  %. 

"  And  a  very  good  doctrine  it  would  prove,  I  make 
no  doubt,  were  you  to  enter  into  it  a  little  more 
fully " 

"  Well,  sir,  I  can  explain " 

"  Not  another  syllable  is  necessary.  I  know  what 
you  mean  as  well  as  if  I  said  it  myself,  and,  moreover, 
short  sermons  are  always  the  best.  You  mean  that  a 
pilot  ought  to  know  where  he  is  steering,  which  is  per 
fectly  sound  doctrine.  My  own  experience  tells  me, 
that  if  you  press  a  sturgeon's  nose  with  your  foot,  it 
will  spring  up  as  soon  as  it  is  loosened.  Now  the 
jack-screw  will  heave  a  great  strain,  no  doubt ;  but  the 
moment  it  is  let  up,  down  comes  all  that  rests  on  it, 
again.  This  Mr.  Dodge,  I  suppose  you  know,  has  been 
a  passenger  with  me  once  or  twice  ?' 

"  I  have  heard  as  much — they  say  he  was  tigerish 
in  the  fight  with  the  niggers — quite  an  out-and-outer." 

"  Ay,  I  hear  he  tells  some  such  story  himself;  but 
harkee,  commodore,  I  wish  to  do  justice  to  all  men, 
and  I  find  there  is  very  little  of  it  inland,  hereaway. 
The  hero  of  that  day  is  about  to  marry  your  beautiful 
Miss  Effingham ;  other  men  did  their  duty  too,  as,  for 
instance,  was  the  case  with  Mr.  John  Effingham ;  but 
Paul  Blunt-Powis-Effingham  finished  the  job.  As  for 
Mr.  Steadfast  Dodge,  sir,  I  say  nothing,  unless  it  be  to 
add  that  he  was  nowhere  near  me  in  that  transaction ; 
and  if  any  man  felt  like  an  alligator  in  Lent,  on  that 
occasion,  it  was  your  humble  servant." 

"  Which  means  that  he  was  not  nigh  the  enemy,  I'll 
swear  before  a  magistrate." 

"  And  no  fear  o~f  perjury.  Any  one  who  saw  Mr. 
John  Effingham  and  Mr.  Powis  on  that  day,  might 
have  sworn  that  they  were  father  and  son ,  and  any 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  463 

one  who  did  not  see  Mr.  Dodge  might  have  said  at 
once,  that  he  did  not  belong  to  their  family.  That  is 
all,  sir;' I  never  disparage  a  passenger,  and,  therefore, 
shall  say  no  more  than  merely  to  add,  that  Mr.  Dodge 
is  no  warrior." 

"  They  say  he  has  experienced  religion,  lately,  as 
they  call  it." 

"  It  is  high  time,  sir,  for  he  had  experienced  sin  quite 
long  enough,  according  to  my  notion.  I  hear  that  the 
man  goes  up  and  down  the  country  disparaging  those 
whose  shoe-ties  he  is  unworthy  to  unloose,  and  that  he 
has  published  some  letters  in  his  journal,  that  are  as 
false  as  his  heart ;  but  let  him  beware,  lest  the  world 
should  see,  some  rainy  day,  an  extract  from  a  certain 
log-book  belonging  to  a  ship  called  the  Montauk.  I 
am  rejoiced  at  this  marriage  after  all,  commodore,  or 
marriages  rather,  for  I  understand  that  Mr.  Paul 
Effingham  and  Sir  George  Templemore  intend  to  make 
a  double  bowline  of  it  to-morrow  morning.  All  is 
arranged,  and  as  soon  as  my  eyes  have  witnessed  that 
blessed  sight,  I  shall  trip  for  New- York  again." 

"  It  is  clearly  made  out  then,  that  the  young  gentle 
man  is  Mr.  John  Effingham's  son  ?" 

"  As  clear  as  the  north-star  in  a  bright  night.  The 
fellow  who  spoke  to  me  at  the  Fun  of  Fire  has  put  us 
in  a  way  to  remove  the  last  doubt,  if  there  were  any 
doubt.  Mr.  Effingham  himself,  who  is  so  cool-headed 
and  cautious,  says  there  is  now  sufficient  proof  to 
make  it  good  in  any  court  in  America.  That  point 
may  be  set  down  as  settled,  and,  for  my  part,  I  rejoice 
it  is  so,  since  Mr.  John  Effingham  has  so  long  passed 
for  an  old  bachelor,  that  it  is  a  credit  to  the  corps  to 
find  one  of  them  the  father  of  so  noble  a  son." 

Here  the  commodore  dropped  his  anchor,  and  the 
two  friends  began  to  fish.  For  an  hour  neither  talked 
much,  but  having  obtained  the  necessary  stock  of 
perch,  they  landed  at  the  favourite  spring,  and  prepared 
a  fry.  While  seated  on  the  grass,  alternating  be- 


464  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

tween  the  potations  of  punch,  and  the  mastication  of 
fish,  these  worthies  again  renewed  the  dialogue  in 
their  usual  discursive,  philosophical,  and  sentimental 
manner. 

"  We  are  citizens  of  a  surprisingly  great  country, 
commodore,"  commenced  Mr.  Truck,  after  one  of  his 
heaviest  draughts ;  "  every  body  says  it,  from  Maine 
to  Florida,  and  what  every  body  says  must  be  true." 

"  Just  so,  sir.  I  sometimes  wonder  how  so  great  a 
country  ever  came  to  produce  so  little  a  man  as  my 
self." 

"  A  good  cow  may  have  a  bad  calf,  and  that  ex 
plains  the  matter.  Have  you  many  as  virtuous  and 
pious  women  in  this  part  of  the  world,  as  Mrs.  Abbott'?" 

"  The  hills  and  valleys  are  filled  with  them.  You 
mean  persons  who  have  got  so  much  religion  that  they 
have  no  room  for  any  thing  else  1" 

"  I  shall  mourn  to  my  dying  day,  that  you  were  not 
brought  up  to  the  sea !  If  you  discover  so  much  of  the 
right  material  on  fresh-water,  what  would  you  have 
been  on  salt?  The  people  who  suck  in  nutriment  from 
a  brain  and  a  conscience  like  those  of  Mr.  Dodge,  too, 
commodore,  must  get,  in  time,  to  be  surprisingly  clear 
sighted." 

"Just  so;  his  readers  soon  overreach  themselves. 
But  it's  of  no  great  consequence,  sir ;  the  people  of  this 
part  of  the  world  keep  nothing  long  enough  to  do 
much  good,  or  much  harm." 

"  Fond  of  change,  ha  ?" 

"  Like  unlucky  fishermen,  always  ready  to  shift  the 
ground.  I  don't  believe,  sir,  that  in  all  this  region  you 
can  find  a  dozen  graves  of  sons,  that  lie  near  their 
fathers.  Every  body  seems  to  have  a  mortal  aversion 
to  stability." 

"  It  is  hard  to  love  such  a  country,  commodore  !" 

"  Sir,  I  never  try  to  love  it.  God  has  given  me  a 
pretty  sheet  of  water,  that  suits  my  fancy  and  wants, 
a  beautiful  sky,  fine  green  mountains,  and  I  am  satis- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  465 

fied.     One  may  love  God,  in  such  a  temple,  though  he 
love  nothing  else." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  if  you  love  nothing,  nothing  loves 
you,  and  no  injustice  is  done." 

"  Just  so,  sir.  Self  has  got  to  be  the  idol,  though  in 
the  general  scramble  a  man  is  sometimes  puzzled  to, 
know  whether  he  is  himself,  or  one  of  the  neighbours." 

"  I  wish  I  knew  your  political  sentiments,  commo 
dore  ;  you  have  been  communicative  on  all  subjects  but 
that,  and  I  have  taken  up  the  notion  that  you  are  a 
true  philosopher." 

"I  hold  myself  to  be  but  a  babe  in  swaddling-clothes 
compared  to  yourself,  sir ;  but  such  as  my  poor  opin 
ions  are,  you  are  welcome  to  them.  In  the  first  place, 
then,  sir,  I  have  lived  long  enough  on  this  water  to 
know  that  every  man  is  a  lover  of  liberty  in  his  own 
person,  and  that  he  has  a  secret  distaste  for  it  in  the 
persons  of  other  people.  Then,  sir,  I  have  got  to  un 
derstand  that  patriotism  means  bread  and  cheese,  and 
that  opposition  is  every  man  for  himself." 

"  If  the  truth  were  known,  I  believe,  commodore,  you 
have  buoyed  out  the  channel !" 

"  Just  so.  After  being  pulled  about  by  the  salt  of 
the  land,  and  using  my  freeman's  privileges  at  their 
command,  until  I  got  tired  of  so  much  liberty,  sir,  I 
have  resigned,  and  retired  to  private  life,  doing  most 
of  my  own  thinking  out  here  on  the  Otsego-Water,  like 
a  poor  slave  as  I  am." 

"You  ought  to  be  chosen  the  next  President!" 

"  I  owe  my  present  emancipation,  sir,  to  the  sogdol- 
lager.  I  first  began  to  reason  about  such  a  man  as 
this  Mr.  Dodge,  who  has  thrust  himself  and  his  igno 
rance  together  into  the  village,  lately,  as  an  expounder 
of  truth,  and  a  ray  of  light  to  the  blind.  Well,  sir, 
I  said  to  myself,  if  this  man  be  the  man  I  know  him 
to  be  as  a  man,  can  he  be  any  thing  better  as  an 
editor?" 


466  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  That  was  a  home  question  put  to  yourself,  com 
modore  ;  how  did  you  answer  it  ?" 

"  The  answer  was  satisfactory,  sir,  to  myself,  what 
ever  it  might  be  to  other  people.  I  stopped  his  paper, 
and  set  up  for  myself.  Just  about  that  time  the  sogdol- 
lager  nibbled,  and  instead  of  trying  to  be  a  great  man, 
over  the  shoulders  of  the  patriots  and  sages  of  the 
land,  I  endeavoured  to  immortalize  myself  by  hooking 
him.  I  go  to  the  elections  now,  for  that  I  feel  to  be  a 
duty,  but  instead  of  allowing  a  man  like  this  Mr.  Dodge 
to  tell  me  how  to  vote,  I  vote  for  the  man  in  public 
that  I  would  trust  in  private." 

"  Excellent !  I  honour  you  more  and  more  every 
minute  I  pass  in  your  society.  We  will  now  drink  to 
the  future  happiness  of  those  who  will  become  brides 
and  bridegrooms  to-morrow.  If  all  men  were  as  phi 
losophical  and  as  learned  as  you,  commodore,  the  hu 
man  race  would  be  in  a  fairer  way  than  they  are  to 
day." 

•'  Just  so  ;  I  drink  to  them  with  all  my  heart.  Is  it 
not  surprising,  sir,  that  people  like  Mrs.  Abbott  and 
Mr.  Dodge  should  have  it  in  their  power  to  injure  such 
as  those  whose  happiness  we  have  just  had  the  honour 
of  commemorating  in  advance  V 

"  Why,  commodore,  a  fly  may  bite  an  elephant,  if 
he  can  find  a  weak  spot  in  his  hide.  I  do  not  altogether 
understand  the  history  of  the  marriage  of  John  Effing- 
ham,  myself;  but  we  see  the  issue  of  it  has  been  a  fine 
son.  Now  I  hold  that  when  a  man  fairly  marries,  he 
is  bound  to  own  it,  the  same  as  any  other  crime ;  for 
he  owes  it  to  those  who  have  not  been  as  guilty  as 
himself,  to  show  the  world  that  he  no  longer  belongs 
to  them." 

"  Just  so ;  but  we  have  flies  in  this  part  of  the  world 
that  will  bite  through  the  toughest  hide." 

"  That  comes  from  there  being  no  quarter-deck  in 
your  social  ship,  commodore.  Now  aboard  of  a  well- 
regulated  packet,  all  the  thinking  is  done  aft ;  they  who 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  467 

are  desirous  of  knowing  whereabouts  the  vessel  is, 
being  compelled  to  wait  till  the  observations  are  taken, 
or  to  sit  down  in  their  ignorance.  The  whole  difficulty 
comes  from  the  fact  that  sensible  people  live  so  far 
apart  in  this  quarter  of  the  world,  that  fools  have  more 
room  than  should  fall  to  their  share.  You  understand 
me,  commodore  ?" 

"  Just  so,"  said  the  commodore,  laughing,  and  wink 
ing.  "  Well,  it  is  fortunate  that  there  are  some  people 
who  are  not  quite  as  weak-minded  as  some  other  peo 
ple.  I  take  it,  Captain  Truck,  that  you  will  be  present 
at  the  wedding  ?" 

The  captain  now  winked  in  his  turn,  looked  around 
him  to  make  sure  no  one  was  listening,  and  laying  a 
finger  on  his  nose,  he  answered,  in  a  much  lower  key 
than  was  usual  for  him — 

"  You  can  keep  a  secret,  I  know,  commodore.  Now 
what  I  have  to  say  is  not  to  be  told  to  Mrs.  Abbott,  in 
order  that  it  may  be  repeated  and  multiplied,  but  is  to 
be  kept  as  snug  as  your  bait,  in  the  bait-box." 

"  You  know  your  man,  sir." 

"Well  then,  about  ten  minutes  before  the  clock 
strikes  nine,  to-morrow  morning,  do  you  slip  into  the 
gallery  of  New  St.  Paul's,  and  you  shall  see  beauty 
and  modesty,  when  *  unadorned,  adorned  the  most.' 
You  comprehend'?" 

"  Just  so,"  and  the  hand  was  flourished  even  more 
than  usual. 

"  It  does  not  become  us  bachelors  to  be  too  lenient 
to  matrimony,  but  I  should  be  an  unhappy  man,  were 
I  not  to  witness  the  marriage  of  Paul  Powis  to  Eve 
Effingham." 

Here  both  the  worthies,  "  freshened  the  nip,"  as  Cap* 
tain  Truck  called  it,  and  then  the  conversation  soon 
got  to  le  too  philosophical  and  contemplative  for  this 
unpretending  record  of  events  and  ideas. 


468  HOME    AS    FOUND. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


"Then  plainly  know,  my  heart's  dear  love  is  set 
On  the  fair  daughter  of  rich  Capulet; 
As  mine  on  hers,  so  hers  is  set  on  mine ; 
And  all  combined,  save  what  thou  must  confine 
By  holy  marriage." 

ROMEO  AND  JULIET. 


THE  morning  chosen  for  the  nuptials  of  Eve  and 
Grace  arrived,  and  all  the  inmates  of  the  Wigwam 
were  early  afoot,  though  the  utmost  care  had  been 
taken  to  prevent  the  intelligence  of  the  approaching 
ceremony  from  getting  into  the  village.  They  little 
knew,  however,  how  closely  they  were  watched ;  the 
mean  artifices  that  were  resorted  to  by  some  who 
called  themselves  their  neighbours,  to  tamper  with  ser 
vants,  to  obtain  food  for  conjecture,  and  to  justify  to 
themselves  their  exaggerations,  falsehoods,  and  frauds. 
The  news  did  leak  out,  as  will  presently  be  seen,  and 
through  a  channel  that  may  cause  the  reader,  who  is 
unacquainted  with  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  Ameri 
can  life,  a  little  surprise. 

We  have  frequently  alluded  to  Annette,  the  femme 
de  chambre  that  had  followed  Eve  from  Europe,  al 
though  we  have  had  no  occasion  to  dwell  on  her  cha 
racter,  which  was  that  of  a  woman  of  her  class,  as 
they  are  well  known  to  exist  in  France.  Annette  was 
young,  had  bright,  sparkling  black  eyes,  was  well 
made,  and  had  the  usual  tournure  and  manner  of  a 
Parisian  grisette.  As  it  is  the  besetting  weakness  of 
all  provincial  habits  to  mistake  graces  for  grace, 
flourishes  for  elegance,  and  exaggeration  for  merit, 
Annette  soon  acquired  a  reputation  in  her  circle,  as 
a  woman  of  more  than  usual  claims  to  distinction. 
Her  attire  was  in  the  height  of  the  fashion,  being  of 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  469 

Eve's  cast-off  clothes,  and  of  the  best  materials,  and  at 
tire  is  also  a  point  that  is  not  without  its  influence  on 
those  who  are  unaccustomed  to  the  world. 

As  the  double  ceremony  was  to  take  place  before 
breakfast,  Annette  was  early  employed  about  the  per 
son  of  her  young  mistress,  adorning  it  in  the  bridal 
robes.  While  she  worked  at  her  usual  employment,  the 
attendant  appeared  unusually  agitated,  and  several 
times  pins  were  badly  pointed,  and  new  arrangements 
had  to  supersede  or  to  supply  the  deficiencies  of  her  mis 
takes.  Eve  was  always  a  model  of  patience,  and  she 
bore  with  these  little  oversights  with  a  quiet  that  would 
have  given  Paul  an  additional  pledge  of  her  admirable 
self-command,  as  well  as  of  a  sweetness  of  temper  that, 
in  truth,  raised  her  almost  above  the  commoner  feel 
ings  of  mortality. 

"  Vous  etes  un  pen  agitee,  ce  matin,  ma  bonne  An 
nette"  she  merely  observed,  when  her  maid  had  com 
mitted  a  blunder  more  material  than  common. 

"J'espere  que  Mademoiselle  a  etc  contente  de  moi, 
jusqu'  CL  present"  returned  Annette,  vexed  with  her 
own  awkwardness,  and  speaking  in  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  usual  to  announce  an  intention  to  quit  a 
service. 

"  Certainly,  Annette,  you  have  conducted  yourself 
well,  and  are  very  expert  in  your  metier.  But  why 
do  you  ask  this  question,  just  at  this  moment  ?" 

"  Parceque — because — with  mademoiselle's  permis  • 
sion,  I  intended  to  ask  for  my  conge" 

"  Conge !  Do  you  think  of  quitting  me,  Annette  ?" 

"  It  would  make  me  happier  than  any  thing  else  to 
die  in  the  service  of  mademoiselle,  but  we  are  all  sub 
ject  to  our  destiny" — the  conversation  was  in  French 
• — "  and  mine  compels  me  to  cease  my  services  as  a 
femme  de  chambre." 

"  This  is  a  sudden,  and  for  one  in  a  strange  country, 
an  extraordinary  resolution.    May  I  ask,  Annette,  what 
you  propose  to  do  ?' 
40 


470  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

Here,  the  woman  gave  herself  certain  airs,  endea 
voured  to  blush,  did  look  at  the  carpet  with  a  studied 
modesty  that  might  have  deceived  one  who  did  not 
know  the  genus,  and  announced  her  intention  to  get 
married,  too,  at  the  end  of  the  present  month. 

"  Married  !"  repeated  Eve  —  "  surely  not  to  old 
Pierre,  Annette?" 

"  Pierre,  Mademoiselle  !  I  shall  not  condescend  to 
look  at  Pierre.  Je  vais  me  marier  avec  un  avocat" 

"  Un  avocat /" 

"  Oui  Mademoiselle.  I  will  marry  myself  with 
Monsieur  Aristabule  Bragg,  if  Mademoiselle  shall  per 
mit." 

Eve  was  perfectly  mute  with  astonishment,  not 
withstanding  the  proofs  she  had  often  seen  of  the  wide 
range  that  the  ambition  of  an  American  of  a  certain 
class  allows  itself.  Of  course,  she  remembered  the 
conversation  on  the  Point,  and  it  would  not  have  been 
in  nature,  had  not  a  mistress  who  had  been  so  lately 
wooed,  felt  some  surprise  at  finding  her  discarded 
suitor  so  soon  seeking  consolation  in  the  smiles  of  her 
own  maid.  Still  her  surprise  was  less  than  that  which 
the  reader  will  probably  experience  at  this  announce 
ment  ;  for,  as  has  just  been  said,  she  had  seen  too  much 
of  the  active  and  pliant  enterprise  of  the  lover,  to  feel 
much  wonder  at  any  of  his  moral  tours  de  force. 
Even  Eve,  however,  was  not  perfectly  acquainted  with 
the  views  and  policy  that  had  led  Aristabulus  to  seek 
this  consummation  to  his  matrimonial  schemes,  which 
must  be  explained  explicitly,  in  order  that  they  may 
be  properly  understood. 

Mr.  Bragg  had  no  notion  of  any  distinctions  in  the 
world,  beyond  those  which  came  from  money,  and 
political  success.  For  the  first  he  had  a  practical 
deference  that  was  as  profound  as  his  wishes  for  its 
enjoyments ;  and  for  the  last  he  felt  precisely  the  sort 
of  reverence,  that  one  educated  under  a  feudal  system, 
would  feel  for  a  feudal  lord.  The  first,  after  several 


HOME   AS    FOUND.  47 J 

unsuccessful  efforts,  he  had  found  unattainable  by 
means  of  matrimony,  and  he  turned  his  thoughts 
towards  Annette,  whom  he  had  for  some  months  held 
in  reserve,  in  the  event  of  his  failing  with  Eve  and 
Grace,  for  on  both  these  heiresses  had  he  entertained 
designs,  as  a  pis  oiler.  Annette  was  a  dress-maker 
of  approved  taste,  her  person  was  sufficiently  attrac 
tive,  her  broken  English  gave  piquancy  to  thoughts  of 
no  great  depth,  she  was  of  a  suitable  age,  and  he  had 
made  her  proposals  and  been  accepted,  as  soon  as  it 
was  ascertained  that  Eve  and  Grace  were  irretrieva 
bly  lost  to  him.  Of  course,  the  Parisienne  did  not  hesi- 
tate^  an  instant  about  becoming  the  wife  of  un  avocat ; 
for,  agreeably  to  her  habits,  rr.atrimony  was  a  legiti 
mate  means  of  bettering  her  condition  in  life.  The 
plan  was  soon  arranged.  They  were  to  be  married  as 
soon  as  Annette's  month's  notice  had  expired,  ana  then 
they  were  to  emigrate  to  the  far  west,  where  Mr. 
Bragg  proposed  to  practise  T,aw,  or  keep  school,  or  to 
go  to  Congress,  or  to  turn  trader,  or  to  saw  lumber, 
or,  in  short,  to  turn  his  hanf  i  to  any  thing  that  offered ; 
while  Annette  was  to  help  along  with  the  menage,  by 
making  dresses,  and  teaching  French ;  the  latter  occu 
pation  promising  to  be  somewhat  peripatetic,  the  popu 
lation  being  scattered,  and  few  of  the  dwellers  in  the 
interior  deeming  it  necessary  to  take  more  than  a 
quarter's  instruction  in  any  of  the  higher  branches  of 
education ;  the  object  being  to  study,  as  it  is  called, 
and  not  to  know.  Aristabulus,  who  was  filled  with  go- 
aheadism,  would  have  shortened  the  delay,  but  this 
Annette  positively  resisted;  her  esprit  de  corps  as  a 
servant,  and  all  her  notions  of  justice,  repudiating  the 
notion  that  the  connexion  which  had  existed  so  long 
between  Eve  and  herself,  was  to  be  cut  off  at  a  mo 
ment's  warning.  So  diametrically  were  the  ideas  of 
the  fiances  opposed  to  each  other,  on  this  point,  that 
at  one  time  it  threatened  a  rupture,  Mr.  Bragg  assert 
ing  the  natural  independence  of  man  to  a  degree  that 


472  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

would  have  rendered  him  independent  of  all  obligations 
that  were  not  effectually  enacted  by  the  law,  and  An 
nette  maintaining  the  dignity  of  a  European  femme  de 
chambre,  whose  sense  of  propriety  demanded  that  she 
should  not  quit  her  place  without  giving  a  month's 
warning.  The  affair  was  happily  decided  by  Arista- 
bulus's  receiving  a  commission  to  tend  a  store,  in  the 
absence  of  its  owner ;  Mr.  Effingham,  on  a  hint  from 
his  daughter,  having  profited  by  the  annual  expiration 
of  the  engagement,  to  bring  their  connexion  to  an  end. 

This  termination  to  the  passion  of  Mr.  Bragg  would 
have  afforded  Eve  a  good  deal  of  amusement  at  any 
other  moment ;  but  a  bride  cannot  be  expected  to  give 
too  much  of  her  attention  to  the  felicity  and  prospects 
of  those  who  have  no  natural  or  acquired  claims  to 
her  affection.  The  cousins  met,  attired  for  the  cere 
mony,  in  Mr.  Effingham's  room,  where  he  soon 
came  in  person,  to  lead  them  to  the  drawing-room. 
It  is  seldom  that  two  more  lovely  young  women 
are  brought  together  on  similar  occasions.  As  Mr. 
Effingham  stood  between  them,  holding  a  hand  of 
each,  his  moistened  eyes  turned  from  one  to  the  other 
in  honest  pride,  and  in  an  admiration  that  even  his 
tenderness  could  not  restrain.  The  toilettes  were  as 
simple  as  the  marriage  ceremony  will  permit ;  for  it 
was  intended  that  there  should  be  no  unnecessary 
parade ;  and,  perhaps,  the  delicate  beauty  of  each  of 
the  brides  was  rendered  the  more  attractive  by  this 
simplicity,  as  it  has  often  been  justly  remarked,  that 
the  fair  of  this  country  are  more  winning  in  dress  of  a 
less  conventional  character,  than  when  in  the  elaborate 
and  regulated  attire  of  ceremonies.  As  might  have 
been  expected,  there  was  most  of  soul  and  feeling  in 
Eve's  countenance,  though  Grace  wore  an  air  of 
charming  modesty  and  nature.  Both  were  unaffected, 
simple  and  graceiul,  and  we  may  add  that  both  trem 
bled  as  Mr.  Effingham  took  their  hands. 

"  This  is  a  pleasing  and  yet  a  painful  hour,"  .said 


HOME    AS   FOUND.  473 

that  kind  and  excellent  man ;  "  one  in  which  I  gain  a 
son,  and  lose  a  daughter." 

"And  /,  dearest  uncle,"  exclaimed  Grace,  whose 
feelings  trembled  on  her  eye-lids,  like  the  dew  ready 
to  drop  from  the  leaf,  "have  /no  connexion  with  your 
feelings  ?" 

"  You  are  the  daughter  that  I  lose,  my  child,  for 
Eve  will  still  remain  with  me.  But  Templemore  has 
promised  to  be  grateful,  and  I  will  trust  his  word." 

Mr.  Effingham  then  embraced  with  fervour  both 
the  charming  young  women,  who  stood  apparelled 
for  the  most  important  event  of  their  lives,  lovely  in 
their  youth,  beauty,  innocence,  and  modesty ;  and  tak 
ing  an  arm  of  each,  he  led  them  below.  John  Effing- 
ham,  the  two  bridegrooms,  Captain  Ducie,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bloomfield,  Mrs.  Hawker,  Captain  Truck,  Made 
moiselle  Viefville,  Annette,  and  Ann  Sidley,  were  all 
assembled  in  the  drawing-room,  ready  to  receive  them; 
and  as  soon  as  shawls  were  thrown  around  Eve  and 
Grace,  in  order  to  conceal  the  wredding  dresses,  the 
whole  party  proceeded  to  the  church. 

The  distance  between  the  Wigwam  and  New  St. 
Paul's  was  very  trifling,  the  solemn  pines  of  the  church 
yard  blending,  from  many  points,  with  the  gayer  trees 
in  the  grounds  of  the  former ;  and  as  the  buildings  in 
this  part  of  the  village  were  few,  the  whole  of  the  bri 
dal  train  entered  the  tower,  unobserved  by  the  eyes 
of  the  curious.  The  clergyman  was  waiting  in  the 
chancel,  and  as  each  of  the  young  men  led  the  object 
of  his  choice  immediately  to  the  altar,  the  double 
ceremony  began  without  delay.  At  this  instant 
Mr.  Aristabulus  Dodge  and  Mrs.  Abbot  advanced 
from  the  rear  of  the  gallery,  and  coolly  took  their 
seats  in  its  front.  Neither  belonged  to  this  particular 
church,  though,  having  discovered  that  the  marriages 
were  to  take  place  that  morning  by  means  of  Annette, 
they  had  no  scruples  on  the  score  of  delicacy  about 
thrusting  themselves  forward  on  the  occasion ;  for.  to 
40* 


474  HOME  AS  FOUND. 

the  latest  moment,  that  publicity-principle  which  ap 
peared  to  be  interwoven  with  their  very  natures,  in 
duced  them  to  think  that  nothing  was  so  sacred  as  to 
be  placed  beyond  the  reach  of  curiosity.  They  en 
tered  the  church,  because  the  church  they  held  to  be 
a  public  place,  precisely  on  the  principle  that  others 
of  their  class  conceive  if  a  gate  be  blown  open  by  ac 
cident,  it  removes  all  the  moral  defences  against  tres 
passers,  as  it  removes  the  physical. 

The  solemn  language  of  the  prayers  and  vows  pro 
ceeded  none  the  less  for  the  presence  of  these  unwel 
come  intruders ;  for,  at  that  grave  moment,  all  other 
thoughts  were  hushed  in  those  that  more  properly  be 
longed  to  the  scene.  When  t»he  clergyman  made  the 
usual  appeal  to  know  if  any  man  could  give  a  reason 
why  those  who  stood  before  him  should  not  be  united 
in  holy  wedlock,  Mrs.  Abbott  nudged  Mr.  Dodge,  and, 
in  the  fulness  of  her  discontent,  eagerly  inquired  in  a 
whisper,  if  it  were  not  possible  to  raise  some  valid 
objection.  Could  she  have  had  her  pious  wish,  the 
simple,  unpretending,  meek,  and  church-going  Eve, 
should  never  be  married.  But  the  editor  was  not  a 
man  to  act  openly  in  any  thing,  his  particular  province 
lying  in  insinuations  and  innuendoes.  As  a  hint  would 
not  now  be  available,  he  determined  to  postpone  his 
revenge  to  a  future  day.  We  say  revenge,  for  Stead 
fast  was  of  the  class  that  consider  any  happiness,  or 
advantage,  in  which  they  are  not  ample  participators, 
wrongs  done  to  themselves. 

That  is  a  wise  regulation  of  the  church,  which 
makes  the  marriage  ceremony  brief,  for  the  intensity 
of  the  feelings  it  often  creates  would  frequently  be 
come  too  powerful  to  be  suppressed,  were  it  unneces 
sarily  prolonged.  Mr.  Effingham  gave  away  both  the 
brides,  the  one  in  the  quality  of  parent,  the  other  in 
that  of  guardian,  and  neither  of  the  bridegrooms  got 
the  ring  on  the  wrong  finger.  This  is  all  we  have  to 
say  of  the  immediate  scene  at  the  altar.  As  soon  as 


HOME   AS   FOUND*  475 

the  benediction  was  pronounced,  and  the  brides  were 
released  from  the  first  embraces  of  their  husbands, 
Mr.  Effingham,  without  even  kissing  Eve,  threw  the 
shawls  over  their  shoulders,  and,  taking  an  arm  of 
each,  he  led  them  rapidly  from  the  church,  for 
he  felt  reluctant  to  suffer  the  holy  feelings  that  were 
uppermost  in  his  heart  to  be  the  spectacle  of  rude  and 
obtrusive  observers.  At  the  door,  he  relinquished  Eve 
to  Paul,  and  Grace  to  Sir  George,  with  a  silent  pres 
sure  of  the  hand  of  each,  and  signed  for  them  to  pro 
ceed  towards  the  Wigwam.  He  was  obeyed,  and  in 
less  than  half  an  hour  from  the  time  they  had  left  the 
drawing-room,  the  whole  party  was  again  assembled 
in  it. 

What  a  change  had  been  produced  in  the  situation 
of  so  many,  in  that  brief  interval ! 

"Father!"  Eve  whispered,  while  Mr.  Effingham 
folded  her  to  his  heart,  the  unbidden  tears  falling  from 
both  their  eyes — "  I  am  still  thine  !" 

"  It  would  break  my  heart  to  think  otherwise,  darling. 
No,  no — I  have  not  lost  a  daughter,  but  have  gained 
a  son." 

"And  what  place  am  I  to  occupy  in  this  scene  of 
fondness  ?"  inquired  John  Effingham,  who  had  consi 
derately  paid  his  compliments  to  Grace  first,  that  she 
might  not  feel  forgotten  at  such  a  moment,  and  who 
had  so  managed  that  she  was  now  receiving  the  con 
gratulations  of  the  rest  of  the  party ;  "  am  I  to  lose 
both  son  and  daughter  ?" 

Eve,  smiling  sweetly  through  her  tears,  raised  her 
self  from  her  own  father's  arms,  and  was  received  in 
those  of  her  husband's  parent.  After  he  had  fondly 
kissed  her  forehead  several  times,  without  withdraw 
ing  from  his  bosom,  she  parted  the  rich  hair  on  his 
forehead,  passing  her  hand  down  his  face,  like  an  in 
fant,  and  said  softly — 

"  Cousin  Jack !" 

'  I  believe  this  must  be  my  rank  and  estimation  still! 


476  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

Paul  shall  make  no  difference  in  our  feeling ;  we  will 
love  each  other  as  we  have  ever  done." 

"  Paul  can  be  nothing  new  between  you  and  me. 
You  have  always  been  a  second  father  in  my  eyes, 
and  in  my  heart,  too,  dear — dear  cousin  Jack." 

John  Effingham  pressed  the  beautiful,  ardent,  blush 
ing  girl  to  his  bosom  again ;  and  as  he  did  so,  both 
felt,  notwithstanding  their  language,  that  a  new  and 
dearer  tie  than  ever  bound  them  together.  Eve  now 
received  the  compliments  of  the  rest  of  the  party, 
when  the  two  brides  retired  to  change  the  dresses  in 
which  they  had  appeared  at  the  altar,  for  their  more 
ordinary  attire. 

In  her  own  dressing-room,  Eve  found  Ann  Sidley, 
waiting  with  impatience  to  pour  out  her  feelings,  the 
honest  and  affectionate  creature  being  much  too  sensi 
tive  to  open  the  floodgates  of  her  emotions  in  the  pre 
sence  of  third  parties. 

"Ma'am — Miss  Eve — Mrs.  Effingham!"  she  ex 
claimed  as  soon  as  her  young  mistress  entered,  afraid 
of  saying  too  much,  now  that  her  nursling  had  become 
a  married  woman. 

"  My  kind  and  good  Nanny !"  said  Eve,  taking  her 
old  nurse  in  her  arms,  their  tears  mingling  in  silence 
for  near  a  minute.  "  You  have  seen  your  child  enter 
on  the  last  of  her  great  earthly  engagements,  Nanny, 
and  I  know  you  pray  that  they  may  prove  happy." 

"  I  do — I  do — I  do — ma'am — madam — Miss  Eve 
— what  am  I  to  call  you  in  future,  ma'am  ?" 

"  Call  me  Miss  Eve,  as  you  have  done  since  my 
childhood,  dearest  Nanny." 

Nanny  received  this  permission  with  delight,  and 
twenty  times  that  morning  she  availed  herself  of  the 
permission ;  and  she  continued  to  use  the  term  until, 
two  years  later,  she  danced  a  miniature  Eve  on  her 
knee,  as  she  had  done  its  mother  before  her,  when  ma 
tronly  rank  began  silently  to  assert  its  rights,  and  our 
present  bride  became  Mrs.  Effingham. 


HOME    AS    POUND,  47? 

"  I  shall  not  quit  you,  ma'am,  now  that  you  are  mar 
ried'?"  Ann  Sidley  timidly  asked;  for,  although  she 
could  scarcely  think  such  an  event  within  the  bounds 
of  probability,  and  Eve  had  already  more  than  once 
assured  her  of  the  contrary  with  her  own  tongue,  still 
did  she  love  to  have  assurance  made  doubly  sure.  "  I 
hope  nothing  will  ever  happen  to  make  me  quit  you, 
ma'am  ?' 

"  Nothing  of  that  sort,  with  my  consent,  ever  shall 
happen,  iny  excellent  Nanny.  And  now  that  Annette 
is  about  to  get  married,  I  shall  have  more  than  the 
usual  necessity  for  your  services." 

"  And  Mamerzelle,  ma'am  ?"  inquired  Nanny,  with 
sparkling  eyes ;  "  I  suppose  she,  too,  will  return  to  her 
own  country,  now  you  know  every  thing,  and  have  no 
farther  occasion  for  her?" 

"  Mademoiselle  Viefville  will  return  to  France  in  the 
autumn,  but  it  will  be  with  us  all ;  for  my  dear  father, 
cousin  Jack,  my  husband — "  Eve  blushed  as  she  pro 
nounced  the  novel  word — "  and  myself,  not  forgetting 
you  my  old  nurse,  will  all  sail  for  England,  with  Sir 
George  and  Lady  Templemore,  on  our  way  to  Italy, 
the  first  week  in  October." 

"  I  care  not,  ma'am,  so  that  I  go  with  you.  I  would 
rather  we  did  not  live  in  a  country  where  I  cannot  un 
derstand  all  that  the  people  say  to  you,  but  wherever 
you  are  will  be  my  earthly  paradise." 

Eve  kissed  the  true-hearted  woman,  and,  Annette 
entering,  she  changed  her  dress. 

The  two  brides  met  at  the  head  of  the  great  stairs, 
on  their  way  back  to  the  drawing-room.  Eve  was  a 
little  in  advance,  but,  with  a  half-concealed  smile,  she 
gave  way  to  Grace,  curtsying  gravely,  and  saying — 

"  It  does  not  become  me  to  precede  Lady  Temple- 
more — I,  who  am  only  Mrs.  Paul  Effingham." 

"  Nay,  dear  Eve,  I  am  not  so  weak  as  you  imagine. 
Do  you  not  think  I  should  have  married  him  had  he 
not  been  a  baronet  1" 


478  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  Templemore,  my  dear  coz,  is  a  man  any  woman 
.night  love,  and  I  believe,  as  firmly  as  I  hope  it  sin 
cerely,  that  he  will  make  you  happy." 

"  And  yet  there  is  one  woman  who  would  not  love 
him,  Eve !" 

Eve  looked  steadily  at  her  cousin  for  a  moment,  was 
startled,  and  then  she  felt  gratified  that  Sir  George  had 
been  so  honest,  for  the  frankness  and  manliness  of  his 
avowal  was  a  pledge  of  the  good  faith  and  sincerity 
of  his  character.  She  took  her  cousin  affectionately 
by  the  hand,  and  said — 

"  Grace,  this  confidence  is  the  highest  compliment 
you  can  pay  me,  and  it  merits  a  return.  That  Sir 
George  Templemore  may  have  had  a  passing  inclination 
for  one  who  so  little  deserved  it,  is  possibly  true — but 
my  affections  were  another's  before  I  knew  him." 

"  You  never  would  have  married  Templemore,  Eve; 
he  says  himself,  now,  that  you  are  quite  too  continental, 
as  he  calls  it,  to  like  an  Englishman." 

"  Then  I  shall  take  the  first  good  occasion  to  unde 
ceive  him ;  for  I  do  like  an  Englishman,  and  he  is  the 
identical  man." 

As  few  women  are  jealous  on  their  wedding-day, 
Grace  took  this  in  good  part,  and  they  descended  the 
stairs  together,  side  by  side,  reflecting  each  other's 
happiness,  in  their  timid  but  conscious  smiles.  In  the 
great  hall,  they  were  met  by  the  bridegrooms,  and 
each  taking  the  arm  of  him  who  had  now  become  of 
so  vast  importance  to  her,  they  paced  the  room  to  and 
fro,  until  summoned  to  the  dejeuner  &  la  fourchette, 
which  had  been  prepared  under  the  especial  superin 
tendence  of  Mademoiselle  Viefville,  after  the  manner 
of  her  country. 

Wedding-days,  like  all  formally  prepared  festivals, 
are  apt  to  go  off  a  little  heavily.  Such,  however,  was 
not  the  case  with  this,  for  every  appearance  of  pre 
meditation  and  preparation  vanished  with  this  meal.  It 
is  true  the  family  did  not  quit  the  grounds,  but,  with 
VOL.  II.  —21 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  479 

this  exception,  ease  and  tranquil  happiness  reigned 
throughout.  Captain  Truck  was  alone  disposed  to  be 
sentimental,  and,  more  than  once,  as  he  looked  about 
him,  he  expressed  his  doubts  whether  he  had  pursued 
the  right  course  to  attain  happiness. 

"  I  find  myself  in  a  solitary  category,"  he  said,  at 
the  dinner-table,  in  the  evening.  "  Mrs.  Hawker,  and 
both  the  Messrs.  Effinghams,  have  been  married ;  every 
body  else  is  married,  and  I  believe  I  must  take  refuge 
in  saying  that  I  will.be  married,  if  I  can  now  persuade 
any  one  to  have  me.  Even  Mr.  Powis,  my  right-hand 
man,  in  all  that  African  affair,  has  deserted  me,  and 
left  me  like  a  single  dead  pine  in  one  of  your  clearings, 
or  a  jewel-block  dangling  at  a  yard-arm,  without  a 
sheave.  Mrs.  Bride — "  the  captain  styled  Eve  thus, 
throughout  the  day,  to  the  utter  neglect  of  the  claims 
of  Lady  Templemore — "  Mrs.  Bride,  we  will  consider 
my  forlorn  condition  more  "  philosophically,  when  I 
shall  have  the  honour  to  take  you,  and  so  many  of  this 
blessed  party,  back  again  to  Europe,  where  I  found  you. 
Under  your  advice  I  think  I  might  even  yet  venture." 

"  And  I  am  overlooked  entirely,"  cried  Mr.  Howel, 
who  had  been  invited  to  make  one  at  the  wedding- 
feast;  "what  is  to  become  of  me,  Captain  Truck,  if 
this  marrying  mania  go  any  further  ?" 
^  "  I  have  long  had  a  plan  for  your  welfare,  my  dear 
sir,  that  I  will  take  this  opportunity  to  divulge ;  I  pro 
pose,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  that  we  enlist  Mr.  Howel 
in  our  project  for  this  autumn,  and  that  we  carry  him 
with  us  to  Europe.  I  shall  be  proud  to  have  the  honour 
of  introducing  him  to  his  old  friend,  the  island  of  Great 
Britain." 

"Ah!  that  is  a  happiness,  I  fear,  that  is  not  in 
reserve  for  me !"  said  Mr.  Howel,  shaking  his  head. 
"  I  have  thought  of  these  thing?,  in  my  time,  but  a^e 
will  now  defeat  any  such  hopes.'4* 

"  Age,  Tom  Howel !"  said  John  Effingham ;  «  you 
are  but  fifty,  like  Ned  and  myself.  We  were  all  boys 
together,  forty  years  ago,  and  yet  you  find  us,  who 


480  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

have  so  lately  returned,  ready  to  take  a  fresh  departure. 
Pluck  up  heart ;  there  may  be  a  steam-boat  ready  to 
bring  you  back,  by  the  time  you  wish  to  return." 

"  Never,"  said  Captain  Truck,  positively.  "  Ladies 
and  gentlemen,  it  is  morally  impossible  that  the  Atlan 
tic  should  ever  be  navigated  by  steamers.  That  doc 
trine  I  shall  maintain  to  my  dying  day ;  but  what  need 
of  a  steamer,  when  we  have  packets  like  palaces  V9 

"  I  did  not  know,  captain,  that  you  entertained  so 
hearty  a  respect  for  Great  Britain — it  is  encouraging, 
really,  to  find  so  generous  a  feeling  toward  the  old 
island  in  one  of  her  descendants.  Sir  George  and 
Lady  Templemore,  permit  me  to  drink  to  your  lasting 
felicity." 

"  Ay — ay — I  entertain  no  ill-will  to  England,  though 
her  tobacco  laws  are  none  of  the  genteelest.  But  my 
wish  to  export  you,  Mr.  Howel,  is  less  from  a  desire 
to  show  you  England,  than  to  let  you  perceive  that 
there  are  other  countries  in  Europe " 

"  Other  countries ! — Surely  you  do  not  suppose  I  am 
so  ignorant  of  geography,  as  to  believe  that  there  are 
no  other  countries  in  Europe — no  such  places  as  Han 
over,  Brunswick,  and  Brunswick  Lunenberg,  and  Den 
mark  ;  the  sister  of  old  George  the  Third  married  the 
king  of  that  country ;  and  Wurtemberg,  the  king  of 
which  married  the  Princess  Royal " 

"  And  Mecklenburg-Strelitz,"  added  John  Effingham, 
gravely,  "  a  princess  of  which  actually  married  George 
the  Third  propria  persona,  as  well  as  by  proxy.  No 
thing  can  be  plainer  than  your  geography,  Howel; 
but,  in  addition  to  these  particular  regions,  our  worthy 
friend  the  captain  wishes  you  to  know  also,  that  there 
are  such  places  as  France,  and  Austria,  and  Russia, 
and  Italy ;  though  the  latter  can  scarcely  repay  a  man 
for  the  trouble  of  visiting  it." 

"  You  have  guessed  my  motive,  Mr.  John  Effing- 
ham,  and  expressed  it  much  more  discreetly  than  1 
could  possibly  have  done,"  cried  the  captain.  "  If  Mr. 
Howel  will  do  me  the  honour  to  take  passage  with  me, 


HOME   A3    FOUND.  48 

going  and  coming,  I  shall  consider  the  pleasure  of  his 
remarks  on  men  and  things,  as  one  of  the  greatest  ad 
vantages  I  ever  possessed." 

"  I  do  not  know  but  I  might  be  induced  to  venture 
as  far  as  England,  but  not  a  foot  farther." 

"  Pas  a  Paris  /"  exclaimed  Mademoiselle  Viefville, 
who  wondered  why  any  rational  being  would  take  the 
trouble  to  cross  the  Atlantic,  merely  to  see  Ce  melan- 
colique  Londres ;  "  you  will  go  to  Paris,  for  my  sake, 
Monsieur  Howel  ?" 

"  For  your  sake,  indeed,  Mam'selle,  I  would  do  any 
thing,  but  hardly  for  my  own.  I  confess  I  have  thought 
of  this,  and  I  will  think  of  it  farther.  I  should  like  to 
see  the  King  of  England  and  the  House  of  Lords,  1 
confess,  before  I  die." 

"  Ay,  and  the  Tower,  and  the  Boar's-Head  at  East- 
Cheap,  and  the  statue  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  and 
London  Bridge,  and  Richmond  Hill,  and  Bow  Street, 
and  Somerset  House,  and  Oxford  IU>ad,  and  Bartlemy 
Fair,  and  Hungerford  Market,  and  Charing-Cross — 
old  Charing-Cross,  Tom  Howel !" — added  John  Effing- 
ham,  with  a  good-natured  nod  of  the  head. 

"  A  wonderful  nation !"  cried  Mr.  Howel,  whose  eyes 
sparkled  as  the  other  proceeded  in  his  enumeration  of 
wonders.  "  I  do  not  think,  after  all,  that  I  can  die  in 
peace,  without  seeing  some  of  these  things — all  would 
be  too  much  for  me.  How  far  is  the  Isle  of  Dogs, 
now,  from  St.  Catherine's  Docks,  captain  ?" 

"  Oh !  but  a  few  cables'  lengths.  If  you  will  only 
stick  to  the  ship  until  she  is  fairly  docked,  I  will  pro 
mise  you  a  sight  of  the  Isle  of  Dogs  before  you  land, 
even.  But  then  you  must  promise  me  to  carry  out  no 
tobacco !" 

"  No  fear  of  me ;  I  neither  smoke  nor  chew,  and  it 
does  not  surprise  me  that  a  nation  as  polished  as  the 
English  should  have  this  antipathy  to  tobacco.  And 
one  might  really  see  the  Isle  of  Dogs  before  landing  ? 
It  is  a  wonderful  country !  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  will  you 
ever  be  able  to  die  tranquilly  without  seeing  Englan4 1" 


482  HOME    AS   FOUND, 

"  I  hope,  sir,  whenever  that  event  shall  arrive,  that 
it  may  be  met  tranquilly,  let  what  may  happen  previ 
ously.  I  do  confess,  in  common  with  Mrs.  Effingham, 
a  longing  desire  to  see  Italy ;  a  wish  that  I  believe  she 
entertains  from  her  actual  knowledge,  and  which  I  en 
tertain  from  my  anticipations." 

"Now,  this  really  surprises  me.  What  can  Italy 
possess  to  repay  one  for  the  trouble  of  travelling  so 
lar  ( 

"  I  trust,  cousin  Jack,"  said  Eve,  colouring  at  the 
sound  of  her  own  voice,  for  on  that  day  of  supreme 
happiness  and  intense  emotions,  she  had  got  to  be  so 
sensitive  as  to  be  less  self-possessed  than  common, 
"  that  our  friend  Mr.  Wenham  will  not  be  forgotten, 
but  that  he  may  be  invited  to  join  the  party." 

This  representative  of  la  jeune  Amerique  was  also 
present  at  the  dinner,  out  of  regard  to  his  deceased 
father,  who  was  a  very  old  friend  of  Mr.  Effingham's, 
and,  being  so  favourably  noticed  by  the  bride,  he  did 
not  fail  to  reply. 

"  I  believe  an  American  has  little  to  learn  from  any 
nation  but  his  own,"  observed  Mr.  Wenham,  with  the 
complacency  of  the  school  to  which  he  belonged,  "  al 
though  one  might  wish  that  all  of  this  country  should 
travel,  in  order  that  the  rest  of  the  world  might  have 
the  benefit  of  the  intercourse." 

"  It  is  a  thousand  pities,"  said  John  Effingham,  "  that 
one  of  our  universities,  for  instance,  was  not  ambulant. 
Old  Yale  was  so,  in  its  infancy ;  but  unlike  most  other 
creatures,  it  went  about  with  greater  ease  to  itself 
when  a  child,  than  it  can  move  in  manhood." 

"  Mr.  John  Effingham  loves  to  be  facetious,"  said 
Mr.  Wenham  with  dignity ;  for,  while  he  was  as  cre 
dulous  as  could  be  wished,  on  the  subject  of  American 
superiority,  he  was  not  quite  as  blind  as  the  votaries  of 
the  Anglo-American  school,  who  usually  yield  the 
control  of  all  their  faculties  and  common  sense  to  their 
masters,  on  the  points  connected  with  their  besetting 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  483 

weaknesses.  "  Every  body  is  agreed,  I  believe,  that 
the  American  imparts  more  than  he  receives,  in  his  in 
tercourse  with  Europeans." 

The  smiles  of  the  more  experienced  of  this  young 
man's  listeners  were  well-bred  and  concealed,  and  the 
conversation  turned  to  other  subjects.  It  was  easy  to 
raise  the  laugh  on  such  an  occasion,  and  contrary  to 
the  usage  of  the  Wigwam,  where  the  men  usually  left 
the  table  with  the  other  sex,  Captain  Truck,  John  Ef- 
fingham,  Mr.  Bloomfield,  and  Mr.  Howel,  made  what 
is  called  a  night  of  it.  Much  delicious  claret  was  con 
sumed,  and  the  honest  captain  was  permitted  to  enjoy 
his  cigar.  About  midnight  he  swore  he  had  half  a 
mind  to  write  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Hawker,  with  an  offer  of 
his  hand ;  as  for  his  heart,  that  she  well  knew  she  had 
possessed  for  a  long  time. 

The  next  day,  about  the  hour  when  the  house  was 
tranquil,  from  the  circumstance  that  most  of  its  inmates 
were  abroad  on  their  several  avocations  of  boating, 
riding,  shopping,  or  walking,  Eve  was  m  the  library, 
her  father  haying  left  it,  a  few  minutes  before,  to 
mount  his  horse.  She  was  seated  at  a  table,  writing 
a  letter  to  an  aged  relative  of  her  own  sex,  to  commu 
nicate  the  circumstance  of  her  marriage.  The  door 
was  half  open,  and  Paul  appeared  at  it  unexpectedly, 
coming  in  search  of  his  young  bride.  His  step  had 
been  so  light,  and  so  intently  was  our  heroine  engaged 
with  her  letter,  that  his  approach  was  unnoticed,  though 
it  had  now  been  a  long  time  that  the  ear  of  Eve  had 
learned  to  know  his  tread,  and  her  heart  to  beat  at  its 
welcome  sound.  Perhaps  a  beautiful  woman  is  never 
so  winningly  lovely  as  when,  in  her  neat  morning  at 
tire,  she  seems  fresh  and  sweet  as  the  new-born  day. 
Eve  had  paid  a  little  more  attention  to  her  toilette  than 
usual  even,  admitting  just  enough  of  a  properly  se 
lected  jewelry,  a  style  of  ornament  that  so  singularly 
denotes  the  refinement  of  a  gentlewoman,  when  used 
understandingly,  and  which  so  infallibly  betrays  vul 
garity  under  other  circumstances,  while  her  attire 


484  HOME  AS 

had  rather  more  than  its  customary  finish,  though  it 
was  impossible  not  to  perceive,  at  a  glance,  that  she 
was  in  an  undress.  The  Parisian  skill  of  Annette, 
on  which  Mr.  Bragg  based  so  many  of  his  hopes  of 
future  fortune,  had  cut  and  fitted  the  robe.to  her  fault- 
lessly  beautiful  person,  with  a  tact,  or  it  might  be  truer 
to  say  a  contact,  so  perfect,  that  it  even  left  more 
charms  to  be  imagined  than  it  displayed,  though  the 
outline  of  the  whole  figure  was  that  of  the  most  love 
ly  womanhood.  But,  notwithstanding  the  exquisite 
modelling  of  the  whole  form,  the  almost  fairy  lightness 
of  the  full,  swelling,  but  small  foot,  about  which  nothing 
seemed  lean  and  attenuated,  the  exquisite  hand  that 
appeared  from  among  the  ruffles  of  the  dress,  Paul 
stood  longest  in  nearly  breathless  admiration  of  the 
countenance  of  his  "  bright  and  blooming  bride."  Per 
haps  there  is  no  sentiment  so  touchingly  endearing  to 
a  man,  as  that  which  comes  over  him  as  he  contem 
plates  the  beauty,  confiding  faith,  holy  purity  and  truth 
that  shine  in  the  countenance  of  a  young,  unpractised, 
innocent  woman,  when  she  has  so  far  overcome  her 
natural  timidity  as  to  pour  out  her  tenderness  in  his  be 
half,  and  to  submit  to  the  strongest  impulses  of  her  na 
ture.  Such  was  now  the  fact  with  Eve.  She  was 
writing  of  her  husband,  and,  though  her  expressions 
were  restrained  by  taste  and  education,  they  partook 
of  her  unutterable  fondness  and  devotion.  The  tears 
stood  in  her  eyes,  the  pen  trembled  in  her  hand,  and 
she  shaded  her  face  as  if  to  conceal  the  weakness  from 
herself.  Paul  was  alarmed,  he  knew  not  why,  but  Eve 
in  tears  was  a  sight  painful  to  him.  In  a  moment  he 
was  at  her  side,  with  an  arm  placed  gently  around  her 
waist,  and  he  drew  her  fondly  towards  his  bosom. 

"  Eve — dearest  Eve !"  he  said — "  what  mean  these 
tears  ?" 

The  serene  eye,  the  radiant  blush,  and  the  meek 
tenderness  that  rewarded  his  own  burst  of  feeling,  re 
assured  the  young  husband,  and,  deferring  to  the  sen- 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  485 

sitive  modesty  of  so  young  a  bride,  he  released  hig 
hold,  retaining  only  a  hand. 

"  It  is  happiness,  Powis — nothing  but  excess  of  hap 
piness,  which  makes  us  women  weaker,  I  fear,  than 
even  sorrow." 

Paul  kissed  her  hands,  regarded  her  with  an  in 
tensity  "of  admiration,  before  which  the  eyes  of 
Eve  rose  and  fell,  as  if  dazzled  while  meeting  his 
looks,  and  yet  unwilling  to  lose  them;  and  then  he 
reverted  to  the  motive  which  had  brought  him  to  the 
library. 

"  My  father — your  father,  that  is  now " 

"  Cousin  Jack !" 

"  Cousin  Jack,  if  you  will,  has  just  made  me  a  pre 
sent,  which  is  second  only  to  the  greater  gift  I  received 
from  your  own  excellent  parent,  yesterday,  at  the 
altar.  See,  dearest  Eve,  he  has  bestowed  this  lovely 
image  of  yourself  on  me ;  lovely,  though  still  so  far 
from  the  truth.  And  here  is  the  miniature  of  my  poor 
mother,  also,  to  supply  the  place  of  the  one  carried 
away  by  the  Arabs." 

Eve  gazed  long  and  wistfully  at  the  beautiful  fea 
tures  of  this  image  of  her  husband's  mother.  She 
traced  in  them  that  pensive  thought,  that  winning  kind 
ness,  that  had  first  softened  her  heart  towards  Paul, 
and  her  lips  trembled  as  she  pressed  the  insensible  glass 
against  them. 

"She  must  have  been  very  handsome,  Eve,  and 
there  is  a  look  of  melancholy  tenderness  in  the  face, 
that  would  seem  almost  to  predict  an  unhappy  blight 
ing  of  the  affections." 

"  And  yet  this  young,  ingenuous,  faithful  woman  en 
tered  on  the  solemn  engagement  we  have  just  made, 
Paul,  with  as  many  reasonable  hopes  of  a  bright  future 
as  we  ourselves!" 

"Not  so,  Eve  —  confidence  and  holy  truth  were 
wanting  at  the  nuptials  of  my  parents.   When  there  is 
deception  at  the  commencement  of  such  a  contract,  it 
is  not  difficult  to  predict  the  end-" 
41  * 


486  HOME    AS    FOUND. 

"  I  do  not  think,  Paul,  you  ever  deceived;  that  noble 
heart  of  yours  is  too  generous !" 

"  If  any  thing  can  make  a  man  worthy  of  such  a 
love,  dearest,  it  is  the  perfect  and  absorbing  confidence 
with  which  your  sex  throw  themselves  on  the  justice 
and  faith  of  ours.  Did  that  spotless  heart  ever  enter 
tain  a  doubt  of  the  worth  of  any  living  being  on  which 
it  had  set  its  affections  ?" 

"  Of  itself,  often,  and  they  say  self-love  lies  at  the 
bottom  of  all  our  actions." 

"  You  are  the  last  person  to  hold  this  doctrine,  be 
loved,  for  those  who  live  most  in  your  confidence, 
declare  that  all  traces  of  self  are  lost  in  your  very 
nature." 

"Most  in  my  confidence!  My  father — my  dear, 
kind  father,  has  then  been  betraying  his  besetting 
weakness,  by  extolling  the  gift  he  has  made." 

"  Your  kind,  excellent  father,  knows  too  well  the  to 
tal  want  of  necessity  for  any  such  thing.  If  the  truth 
must  be  confessed,  I  have  been  passing  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  with  worthy  Ann  Sidley." 

"Nanny — dear  old  Nanny! — and  you  have  been 
weak  enough,  traitor,  to  listen  to  the  eulogiums  of  a 
nurse  on  her  child  !" 

"  All  praise  of  thee,  my  blessed  Eve,  is  grateful  to 
my  ears,  and  who  can  speak  more  understandingly  of 
those  domestic  qualities  which  lie  at  the  root  of  do 
mestic  bliss,  than  those  who  have  seen  you  in  your 
most  intimate  life,  from  childhood  down  to  the  moment 
when  you  have  assumed  the  duties  of  a  wife  ?" 

"  Paul,  Paul,  thou  art  beside  thyself;  too  much  learn 
ing  hath  made  thee  mad !" 

"  I  am  not  mad,  most  beloved  and  beautiful  Eve,  but 
blessed  to  a  degree  that  might  indeed  upset  a  stronger 
reason." 

"  We  will  now  talk  of  other  things,"  said  Eve,  rais 
ing  his  hand  to  her  lips  in  respectful  affection,  and 
looking  gratefully  up  into  his  fond  and  eloquent  eyes ; 
"  1  hope  the  feeling  of  which  you  so  lately  spoke  han 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  487 

subsided,  and  that  you  no  longer  feel  yourself  a  stranger 
in  the  dwelling  of  your  own  family." 

"Now  that  I  can  claim  a  right  through  you,  I  con 
fess  that  my  conscience  is  getting  to  be  easier  on  this 
point.  Have  you  been  yet  told  of  the  arrangement 
that  the  older  heads  meditate  in  reference  to  our  fu 
ture  means  1" 

"  I  would  not  listen  to  my  dear  father  when  he 
wished  to  introduce  the  subject,  for  I  found  that  it  was 
a  project  that  made  distinctions  between  Paul  Effing- 
ham  and  Eve  Effingham,  two  that  I  wish,  henceforth, 
to  consider  as  one  in  all  things." 

"  In  this,  darling,  you  may  do  yourself  injustice  as 
well  as  me.  But  perhaps  you  may  not  wish  me  to 
speak  on  the  subject,  neither." 

"  What  would  my  lord?" 

"  Then  listen,  and  the  tale  is  soon  told.  We  are 
each  other's  natural  heirs.  Of  the  name  and  blood  of 
Effingham,  neither  has  a  relative  nearer  than  the  other, 
for,  though  but  cousins  in  the  third  degree,  our  family 
is  so  small  as  to  render  the  husband,  in  this  case,  the 
natural  heir  of  the  wife,  and  the  wife  the  natural  heir 
of  the  husband.  Now  your  father  proposes  that  his 
estates  be  valued,  and  that  my  father  settle  on  you  a 
sum  of  equal  amount,  which  his  wealth  will  fully  ena 
ble  him  to  do,  and  that  I  become  the  possessor  in  re 
version,  of  the  lands  that  would  otherwise  have  been 
yours." 

"  You  possess  me,  my  heart,  my  affections,  my  duty ; 
of  what  account  is  money  after  this !" 

"  I  perceive  that  you  are  so  much  and  so  truly  wo-_ 
man,  Eve,  that  we  must  arrange  all  this  without  con-"" 
suiting  you  at  all." 

"  Can  I  be  in  safer  hands  ?  A  father  that  has  always 
been  100  indulgent  of  my  unreasonable  wishes — a  se 
cond  parent  that  has  only  contributed  too  much  to 
spoil  me  in  the  same  thoughtless  manner — and  a " 

"  Husband,"  added  Paul,  perceiving  that  Eve  hesi 
tated  at   pronouncing  to  his   face   a  name  so  nove 


488  HOME   AS   FOUND. 

though  so  endearing,  "  who  will  strive  to  do  more  than 
either  in  the  same  way." 

"  Husband,"  she  added,  looking  up  into  his  face  with 
a  smile  innocent  as  that  of  an  infant,  while  the  crimson 
tinge  covered  her  forehead,  "  if  the  formidable  word 
must  be  uttered,  who  is  doing  all  he  can  to  increase  a 
self-esteem  that  is  already  so  much  greater  than  it 
ought  to  be." 

A  light  tap  at  the  door  caused  Eve  to  start  and  look 
embarrassed,  like  one  detected  in  a  fault,  and  Paul  to 
release  the  hand  that  he  had  continued  to  hold  during 
the  brief  dialogue. 

"  Sir — ma'am  " — said  the  timid,  meek  voice  of  Ann 
Sidley,  as  she  held  the  door  ajar,  without  presuming 
to  look  into  the  room;  "Miss  Eve — Mr.  Powis." 

"  Enter,  my  good  Nanny,"  said  Eve,  recovering  her 
self-composure  in  a  moment,  the  presence  of  her  nurse 
always  appearing  to  her  as  no  more  than  a  duplication 
of  herself.  "  What  is  your  wish  ?" 

"  I  hope  I  am  not  unreasonable,  but  I  knew  that 
Mr.  Effingham  was  alone  with  you,  here,  and  I  wished 
— that  is,  ma'am, — Miss  Eve — Sir " 

"  Speak  your  wishes,  my  good  old  nurse — am  I  not 
your  own  child,  and  is  not  this  your  own  child's" — 
again  Eve  hesitated,  blushed,  and  smiled,  ere  she  pro 
nounced  the  formidable  word — "  husband." 

"  Yes,  ma'am ;  and  God  be  praised  that  it  is  so.  I 
dreamt,  it  is  now  four  years,  Miss  Eve ;  we  were  then 
travelling  among  the  Denmarkers,  and  I  dreamt  that 
you  were  married  to  a  great  prince " 

"  But  your  dream  has  not  come  true,  my  good  Nan 
ny,  and  you  see  by  this  fact  that  it  is  not  always  safe 
to  trust  in  dreams." 

"  Ma'am,  I  do  not  esteem  princes  by  the  kingdoms 
and  crowns,  but  by  their  qualities — and  if  Mr.  Powis 
be  not  a  prince,  who  is  ?" 

"  That,  indeed,  changes  the  matter,"  said  the  grati 
fied  young  wife ;  "  and  I  believe,  after  all,  dear  Nan* 


HOME    AS    FOUND.  48  9 

ny,  that  I  must  become  a  convert  to  your  theory  of 
dreams." 

"  While  I  must  always  deny  it,  good  Mrs.  Sidley,  if 
this  is  a  specimen  of  its  truth,"  said  Paul,  laughing. 
"  But,  perhaps  this  prince  proved  unworthy  of  Miss 
Eve,  after  all?" 

"  Not  he,  sir ;  he  made  her  a  most  kind  and  affec 
tionate  husband ;  not  humouring  all  her  idle  wishes,  if 
Miss  Eve  could  have  had  such  wishes,  but  cherishing 
her,  and  counselling  her,  and  protecting  her,  showing 
as  much  tenderness  for  her  as  her  own  father,  and  as 
much  love  for  her  as  I  had  myself." 

"  In  which  case,  my  worthy  nurse,  he  proved  an  in 
valuable  husband,"  said  Eve,  with  glistening  eyes — 
'•  and  I  trust,  too,  that  he  was  considerate  and  friendly 
to  you  ?" 

"  He  took  me  by  the  hand,  the  morning  after  the 
marriage,  and  said,  Faithful  Ann  Sidley,  you  have 
nursed  and  attended  my  beloved  when  a  child,  and  as 
a  young  lady ;  and  I  now  entreat  you  will  continue  to 
wait  on  and  serve  her  as  a  wife  to  your  dying  day. 
He  did,  indeed,  ma'am ;  and  I  think  I  can  now  hear 
the  very  words  he  spoke  so  kindly.  The  dream,  so 
far,  has  come  good." 

"  My  faithful  Ann,"  said  Paul,  smiling,  and  taking 
the  hand  of  the  nurse,  "  you  have  been  all  that  is  good 
and  true  to  my  best  beloved,  as  a  child,  and  as  a  young 
lady ;  and  now  I  earnestly  entreat  you  to  continue  to 
wait  on  her,  and  to  serve  her  as  my  wife,  to  your  dy 
ing  day." 

Nanny  clapped  her  hands  with  a  scream  of  delight, 
and  bursting  into  tears,  she  exclaimed,  as  she  hurried 
from  the  room, 

"  It  has  all  come  true — it  has  all  come  true  !" 

A  pause  of  several  minutes  succeeded  this  burst  ol 
superstitious  but  natural  feeling. 

"  All  who  live  near  you  appear  to  think  you  the 
common  centre  of  their  affections,"  Paul  resi 
when  his  swelling  heart  permitted  him  to  speak./ 


490  HOME    AS   FOUND. 

"  We  have  hitherto  been  a  family  of  love — God 
grant  it  may  always  continue  so." 

Another  delicious  silence,  which  lasted  still  longer 
than  the  other,  followed.  Eve  then  looked  up  into  her 
husband's  face  with  a  gentle  curiosity,  and  observed — 

"  You  have  told  me  a  great  deal,  Powis — explained 
all  but  one  little  thing,  that,  at  the  time,  caused  me 
great  pain.  Why  did  Ducie,  when  you  were  about  to 
quit  the  Montauk  together,  so  unceremoniously  stop 
you,  as  you  were  about  to  get  into  the  boat  first ;  is 
the  etiquette  of  a  man-of-war  so  rigid  as  to  justify  so 
much  rudeness,  I  had  almost  called  it — ?'^ 

"  The  etiquette  of  a  vessel  of  war  is  rigid  certainly, 
and  wisely  so.  But  what  you  fancied  rudeness,  was 
in  truth  a  compliment.  Among  us  sailors,  it  is  the  in 
ferior  who  goes  first  into  a  boat,  and  who  quits  it  last." 

"  So  much,  then,  for  forming  a  judgment,  ignorantly ! 
I  believe  it  is  always  safer  to  have  no  opinion,  than  to 
form  one  without  a  perfect  knowledge  of  all  the  ac 
companying  circumstances." 

"  Let  us  adhere  to  this  safe  rule  through  life,  dearest, 
and  we  may  find  its  benefits.  An  absolute  confidence, 
caution  in  drawing  conclusions,  and  a  just  reliance  on 
each  other,  may  keep  us  as  happy  to  the  end  of  our 
married  life,  as  we  are  at  this  blessed  moment,  when  it 
is  commencing  under  auspices  so  favourable  as  to 
seem  almost  providential." 


14  DAY  USE 

IETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 


Tel.  No.  6 

Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


.    ? 


NOV6   1976 


_ 1 — 


ntc.ciB.Jin. 


'6388 


(P2001slO)476 — A-32 


-11AM 
1987  7  5 

LD  21-50m-8,'32 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


